State vs Siddharth Vashisht @ Manu Sharma (Jessica Lal Murder Case)

Court: Supreme Court of India (affirming Delhi High Court) · Status: CONVICTED · Type: CRIMINAL

On the night of 29-30 April 1999, model and celebrity barmaid Jessica Lal was shot dead at Tamarind Court restaurant, Qutub Colonnade, Mehrauli, Delhi after she refused to serve liquor to Siddharth Vashisht (known as Manu Sharma), son of Congress MP Venod Sharma. Despite approximately 100-300 witnesses at the party, systematic witness tampering caused 32 witnesses to turn hostile, resulting in acquittal of all accused by the Sessions Court in February 2006. A massive public campaign led by NDTV and a Tehelka sting operation exposing witness bribing prompted a fast-track Delhi High Court retrial, which convicted Manu Sharma to life imprisonment in December 2006. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction in April 2010. Manu Sharma was granted premature release by the Delhi Lieutenant Governor in June 2020 after serving approximately 20 years.

Timeline

• 1999-04-30 Crime: Jessica Lal shot dead at Tamarind Court restaurant, Qutub Colonnade, Mehrauli, Delhi by Siddharth Vashisht (Manu Sharma) after she refused to serve alcohol after bar closing time. Shot in the head with a .22 calibre pistol; declared dead on arrival at Apollo Hospital. FIR No. 287/99 registered same day. [source]
• 1999-05-06 Arrest: Manu Sharma arrested by Delhi Police in connection with the murder of Jessica Lal. Co-accused Alok Khanna and Amardeep Singh Gill were arrested on 4 May 1999. [source]
• 1999-08-03 Charge Filed: Charge sheet filed against Manu Sharma and co-accused under Sections 302, 120-B, 201, 34 IPC and Section 27 Arms Act. [source]
• 2000-11-23 Hearing: Charges formally framed by Additional Sessions Judge, Delhi against all accused in Sessions Case No. 105 of 2001. [source]
• 2006-02-21 Acquittal: Additional Sessions Judge L. Bhayana acquitted all nine accused including Manu Sharma. 32 witnesses had turned hostile; murder weapon was not recovered; ballistic evidence deemed inconclusive. Verdict triggered massive nationwide public outcry. [source]
• 2006-09-09 Media Event: Tehelka magazine sting operation aired on STAR News, exposing systematic witness bribing and coaching in the Jessica Lal case. Hidden camera footage showed associates of Venod Sharma paying witnesses to recant testimony. Witness Shyan Munshi was caught on camera contradicting his earlier court deposition. [source]
• 2006-12-15 Conviction: Delhi High Court convicted Manu Sharma under Section 302 IPC (murder) after fast-track proceedings with daily hearings over 25 days. Also convicted Vikas Yadav and Amardeep Singh Gill on conspiracy charges. Sentence pronounced 20 December 2006: life imprisonment for Manu Sharma with fine of Rs 50,000; 4 years rigorous imprisonment under Section 27 Arms Act. [source]
• 2010-04-19 Judgment: Supreme Court of India upheld the Delhi High Court conviction and life sentence of Manu Sharma. Justices P. Sathasivam and Swatanter Kumar found that circumstantial evidence, vehicle evidence, cartridge linkage and post-incident conduct proved guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Citation: AIR 2010 SC 2352; (2010) 6 SCC 1; Criminal Appeal No. 179 of 2007. [source]
• 2020-06-02 Release: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal approved the premature release of Manu Sharma on recommendation of a Sentence Review Board chaired by Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain. Sharma had served approximately 20 years and was reported to have displayed good conduct in prison. The release drew public criticism given the gravity of the crime. [source]
• 2021-01-01 Business Venture: Manu Sharma, rebranded as Siddharth Sharma, returned to family conglomerate Piccadily Agro Industries Limited (PAIL) after his June 2020 premature release. PAIL launched Indri single malt whisky in 2021 from its 168-acre distillery in Indri village, Karnal district, Haryana. Sharma is listed as founder of Piccadily Distilleries and holds a 22.73% stake in PAIL as part of the promoter group. Indri won Best in Show Double Gold at the Whiskies of the World Awards 2023, becoming one of India's most awarded single malts. The brand is now internationally distributed. [source]
• 2024-11-13 Business Venture: Piccadily Agro Industries Limited (PAIL) announced a Rs 1,000 crore (approximately 118 million USD) investment plan including a new distillery in Portavadie, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The Scottish project, Portavadie Distillers and Blenders, received approximately 15 million GBP from PAIL. PAIL described it as 'an industry-first for any Indian alco-bev company'. Manu Sharma, as a 22.73% promoter-group stakeholder and listed founder of Piccadily Distilleries, is a key beneficiary of the Scotland expansion. [source]
• 2024-12-15 Investigation: The Sunday Post and Press and Journal (Scotland) published investigations revealing that Manu Sharma, convicted for the murder of Jessica Lal and released on premature release in 2020, holds a major stake in PAIL and is connected to the Portavadie distillery investment in Scotland. SNP MP Brendan O'Hara called the revelations 'very concerning' and urged HMRC to investigate whether Sharma's criminal background was properly assessed during fit-and-proper vetting for the Scotland distillery licence. HMRC declined for months to confirm whether Sharma's involvement had been identified during checks. The distillery project's future was described as at risk pending HMRC determination. [source]

Accused means charged, not convicted. We report what courts state. Every claim is sourced.