From rxpgnews.com
Apex court to hear plea of Jessica's killer July 17
By IANS,
Apr 2, 2007 - 6:13:44 PM
New Delhi, April 2 - The Supreme Court Monday decided to hear July 17 the plea of former Haryana minister Venod Sharma's son Manu Sharma, challenging the Delhi High court verdict, which convicted and sentenced him to life term for murdering ramp model Jessica Lall in a south Delhi restaurant in April 1999.
While issuing notice to the Delhi police on a petition by Sharma, a bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan also granted bail to his accomplice Amardeep Singh Gill, who had been sentenced to four years in jail by the high court for destroying evidence in the murder case.
Appearing for Sharma, senior advocate Ram Jethmalani told the court he was not demanding bail for his client but an expeditious hearing of his plea challenging the high court's judgement.
Acceding to Jethmalani's plea, the bench posted the matter for final hearing on July 17.
The appeal was filed by Sharma against the high court judgement, which had convicted him setting aide his acquittal by the trial court.
While granting bail to Gill alias Tony on a personal bond of Rs 25,000 with a surety of the same amount, the bench also directed him to surrender his passport.
Ramp model Jessica Lall was shot dead from point blank range allegedly by Sharma for denying him a drink on the intervening night of April 29 and 30, 1999 at a party at Qutub Colonnade restaurant in south Delhi.
A trial court had on Feb 21, 2006 acquitted all the nine accused observing that there was lack of evidence against them.
The high court, however, had on Dec 20, 2006 reversed the acquittal and awarded him life imprisonment.
In his appeal to the apex court, Sharma has contended that he was rightly acquitted after an elaborate trial by the lower court, which had appreciated the oral and documentary evidence in the case.
He has alleged that he did not get a fair trial in the high court because of media pressure.
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