To the list of lapses made by the Delhi Police while investigating into the 1999 murder of Jessica Lall add another: the one made while collecting technical evidence.
As part of the investigation, the police collected the cellphone records of the main accused Manu Sharma and the co-accused Amardeep Singh Gill (alias Tony Gill), Alok Khanna and Amit Jhingan. (HT has a copy of the cellphone records of these persons submitted before the trial court.)
But the Delhi Police failed to collect the entire call details of Manu — who used cellphone number 9811098693 before and after the murder. The phone belonged to Manu’s younger brother Kartik but was registered in the name of OPSC, X-7 Ohkla Industrial Area, Phase-II.
The police got the call details from April 24 till 11.05 p.m. on April 29 — Lall was murdered in the early hours of April 30 — when the last call was made to number 0172-607287. But they made no effort to get the details for the period while Manu was on the run.
Between April 30 and May 6, Manu used two other cell phones — 9814093929 and 9814015305. The latter belonged to former cricketer Yograj Singh. The police failed to get the call details of these phones. What they did submit was call printout of Yograj's other phone, number 9815015280.
The Delhi Police did better in the case of the other accused. They managed to get the call details for the relevant period — till May 1, 1999 — of Khanna, cell number 9811068169. The details show that he was in touch with Jhingan (no; 9810130313), whom he called at 11.04 a.m. on May 1.
{{/usCountry}}The Delhi Police did better in the case of the other accused. They managed to get the call details for the relevant period — till May 1, 1999 — of Khanna, cell number 9811068169. The details show that he was in touch with Jhingan (no; 9810130313), whom he called at 11.04 a.m. on May 1.
{{/usCountry}}Jhingan’s call details show he was in regular touch with Gill (no: 9811100237), whom he called at least four times immediately after Lall was shot dead.