The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the conviction and life imprisonment awarded to Manu Sharma, son of senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Venod Sharma, in the 1999 Jessica Lall murder case.
"The prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt the presence of Manu Sharma at the site of the offence," a Bench of Justices P Sathasivam and Swatanter Kumar said, upholding the Delhi High Court verdict.
The apex court also upheld the conviction as well as sentence of four years jail term of Vikas Yadav, son of controversial Uttar Pradesh politician D P Yadav and, Amarjeet Singh Gill, an MNC executive, for the destruction of evidence.
"The Delhi High Court has given cogent and adequate reasons for reversal of acquittal given by the trial court," the bench said.
"The presence of accused is proved by ocular evidence of prosecution witnesses," the Bench said while pronouncing the verdict.
The bench said that the conduct of Manu Sharma after the crime proved his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
"The prosecution has established the evidence by recovering the Tata Safari car used by Manu Sharma on the day of offence from Noida.
"An inference can be drawn about his guilt because accused did not lodge any FIR for the theft of his vehicle," the bench said in its over 250-page judgement.
The apex court said that the high court had rightly convicted and given four years jail sentences to Yadav and Gill for destruction of evidence.
The court also expunged the adverse remarks of the trial court against the prosecution and also the observations of the high court against the trial court order acquitting all the accused.
"The non-recovery and non-explanation of the pistol allegedly used in the crime point towards the guilt of the accused," the bench said.
Though the apex court criticised the media -- both electronic and print -- for its reports in connection with the case while it was pending before the high court, the Supreme Court judges said it did not cause any prejudice to the accused.
The high court had on December 18, 2006 set aside the acquittal of Sharma and others by the trial court on February 21, 2006.
Sabrina Lall, sister of the slain model-cum-bartender, who has been pursuing the case since the murder on the intervening night of April 29-30, 1999, expressed her happiness over the verdict.
"The final door has been closed on this episode. It has given a lot of relief and satisfaction. I am happy," she said outside the court.
The apex court dismissed the plea of Manu that he was innocent and implicated in the case.
"The arguments on behalf of Manu Sharma that the entire story involving him in the crime is planted and concocted is erroneous," the court said.
According to the Delhi police, Lall was shot dead by Manu at the Tamarind Court Cafe restaurant owned by socialite Bina Ramani at Qutub Colonnade in South Delhi where she had hosted a party for her Canadian husband George Mailhot. PTI
