Key Points:
Jessica Lal was killed on 30 April 1999 by Manu Sharma, the son of Venod Sharma, an influential politician.
Manu Sharma was acquitted in 2006 due to a lack of evidence, but media trials and public outrage led to the case being reopened.
On December 15 2006, Manu Sharma was sentenced to life imprisonment but was released on grounds of good behaviour in 2020.
Twenty-seven years have passed since the sensational murder of Jessica Lal that shook the nation. Today, murder convict Manu Sharma, son of influential politician and founder of the Jan Chetna Party, Venod Sharma, is a free man. Manu Sharma shot 34-year-old Jessica, who was working at a bar in Mehrauli, Delhi.
The case sent shockwaves across the country due to its sensational nature and high-profile accused. On 30 April 1999, two things happened—first, Jessica Lal was killed, and second, the country witnessed how justice could be swayed by power and influence.
Seven years after Jessica’s death, Manu Sharma was found guilty of her murder following an intense media trial and public outrage. He was awarded a life sentence on 30 December 2006.
Two decades later, Manu Sharma was released from Tihar Jail in 2020 after spending 15 years behind bars on grounds of good behaviour. He is currently working as a promoter of Piccadilly Distilleries, and in 2021, the company launched its most successful single malt whisky, named Indri. He changed his name to Siddharth Sharma.
The murder of Jessica Lal became a case study for various subjects, including how media trials and public outrage pushed the judicial system beyond its limits and led to the conviction of Manu Sharma and others who were present on the last night Jessica breathed.
Raj Kumar Gupta directed No One Killed Jessica, based on the story of Jessica Lal’s murder, in 2011, starring Rani Mukerji and Vidya Balan.
Jessica Lal was a model who was bartending at an unlicensed bar, the upscale Tamarind Court, owned by Bina Ramani, an Indian fashion designer and entrepreneur. Jessica Lal had a sister named Sabrina Lal. On one fateful night in 1999, Jessica Lal was working at the bar after midnight, and the bar had run out of liquor at that time.
On the night of 30 April 1999, Manu Sharma walked into the bar along with his three friends, where Jessica Lal was working. Sharma was accompanied by Amardeep Singh Gill, Alok Khanna, and Vikas Yadav, who is also the main convict in the murder of Nitish Katara. Sharma ordered alcohol, but the place had no liquor left.
He allegedly offered her ₹1000 to serve them drinks. After Jessica refused, Manu Sharma took out his .22-calibre pistol and fired a warning shot. When Jessica still refused to serve, Sharma shot her at point-blank range. Jessica Lal was killed on the spot.
A chargesheet was filed against Manu Sharma, among others, in the same year under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Manu Sharma was not an ordinary man carrying a pistol. He was a man of influence, born into privilege. Sharma is the son of former Indian National Congress leader Venod Sharma, who had been a part of the INC for more than four decades. After the Jessica Lal case, Venod Sharma resigned from the party during the 1999 general election. Manu Sharma’s brother, Kartikeya Sharma, is currently serving as a member of the Rajya Sabha. Kartikeya Sharma is also the owner of the iTV media network, which operates multiple media outlets.
Around 12 names emerged in the murder of Jessica Lal, and by 2006, nine of the accused were acquitted due to lack of evidence. The acquittal of Manu Sharma, among others, led to widespread outrage across the country, with several media campaigns advocating justice for Jessica. Due to fear, bribery or intimidation, several witnesses turned hostile and refused to identify Manu Sharma on the day of the shooting.
Protests were organised demanding justice for Jessica Lal after news of the acquittal broke. In a New York Times article titled ‘Acquittal in Killing Unleashes Ire at India’s Rich,’ writer Somini Sengupta raised “uncomfortable questions about the uneven course of justice in a society polarized between the well-heeled and the rest.” The writer also quoted an editorial from the Hindustan Times, where the concept of justice was referred to as a “silly bedtime story for the gullible.”
The Indian media ran campaigns advocating for justice for Jessica Lal. The Times of India reported on the tactics used by influential figures to escape the reach of the law. They covered major cases such as the Priyadarshini Mattoo case and the Nitish Katara case.
The Jessica Lal case was directed to be reviewed by the High Court in 2006. Later that year, a sting operation aired on STAR News unravelled the truth and revealed how several witnesses were bribed to change their statements. Manu Sharma’s father was also implicated, which ultimately led to his resignation from the Haryana cabinet.
Manu Sharma was found guilty and, days later, was sentenced to life imprisonment on 30 December 2006. His associates, Amardeep Gill and Vikas Yadav, were fined and given four-year prison terms as part of the verdict. In 2020, Manu Sharma was released from prison after serving just 14 years behind bars for the murder of Jessica Lal.
Jessica’s sister, Sabrina Lal, kept fighting for her sister. In an interview with Humans of Bombay, she said, “My sister’s life was more valuable than ₹1000 or a glass of wine!” When Manu Sharma was released from prison, Sabrina shared, “Little did I know that 14 years later, all that hate would simply vanish and I'd wish for nothing but happiness for the man who killed my sister.” She continued, “I could see my Shona smiling down upon me as if to say, ‘You’ve fought a good fight, just let go now.’” Sabrina Lal passed away in 2021 due to illness.
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