news details |
|
|
| Defence seeks transfer of Jessica case | | |
New Delhi, Nov 03: Noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani today moved the Delhi High Court seeking transfer of Jessica Lal murder case from Justice R S Sodhi`s court. A division bench of Justice R S Sodhi and Justice P K Bhasin issued notice on his application seeking transfer to some other court to the state and fixed the matter for hearing on Tuesday.
In the application, he also sought initiation of contempt proceedings against a newspaper, which carried a story saying Justice Sodhi in 2002 rescued from hearing prime accused Manu Sharma`s bail application as he was approached on behalf of Sharma.
Noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani yesterday opened arguments for accused Manu Sharma in the Jessica Lall murder case in the Delhi High Court alleging that socialite Bina Ramani, a key witness in the case, had given the statement in favour of the prosecution under police pressure.
"If she does not give statement in favour of prosecution, she will be made an accused for destruction of evidence in this case under section 201 of IPC as she had cleaned up the blood stains from the place of occurance on the day," he told a Division Bench of Justice R S Sodhi and Justice P K Bhasin.
The prosecution is strongly relying upon the testimony of Ramani to prove Sharma guilty of committing of murder of the ramp model in Tamarind Court, Ramani`s restaurant over Jassica`s refusal to serve him liquor on the intervening night of April 29-30, 1999.
Jethmalani termed Ramani`s statement that she had seen Jessica falling after the gun shot and that she had chased Manu till the main gate as "exaggerated".
"The police have put all words in her mouth in order to frame Manu in the case," he argued.
He also accused the police of striking a deal with Ramani and her family that they would be let off in all other cases in case they gave statements in favour of prosecution.
"Ramani was scared of police as she was running an illegal bar and serving liquor without license," he alleged.
Taking a potshot at the media, Jethmalani submitted before the court that the way media was reporting the case, Manu remained an accused in the eyes of public and that the court should not take media reports into consideration.
To this, Justice Sodhi said "court would not comment on this as media has been doing its duty and it will rely upon the facts and the evidence produced by the prosecution keeping in mind that the accused persons should get a fair trial".
Denying the presence of Manu at the party, he said police had failed to trace the real culprit and framed Manu in the case and insisted Malini to identify him as the accused person who had killed Jessica.
He countered prosecution`s claim that Manu had bought .22 bore pistol from Karnal and said police needed to prove that the bullet which was recovered from the scalp of the deceased belonged to Manu.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
