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Manu Sharma, Vikas Yadav charged with Jessica Lal's murder

The Delhi police today indicted Manu Sharma, Vikas Yadav and 10 others in the Jessica Lal murder case. The chargesheet was filed in the court of Metropolitan Magistrate V K Khanna.

The main accused, Siddharth Vashisht alias Manu Sharma, has been charged under sections 302 (murder), 201 (destruction of evidence), 120(b) (criminal conspiracy) and 212 (harbouring suspects) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act.

The others accused are member of Parliament D P Yadav's son Vikas, Coca-Cola Company officials Alok Khanna and Amardeep Singh Gill, Shyam Sunder Sharma, Amit Jhingan, Yograj Singh, Harvinder Chopra, Vikas Gill, Raja Chopra, Ravinder Krishan Sudan and Dhanraj. They have all been charged under sections 120(b), 302, 201 and 212 of the IPC.

The chargesheet says that on the night of April 29, at about 0200 IST, model Jessica Lal was shot at socialite Bina Ramani's Tamarind Court restaurant in New Delhi by Manu Sharma.

Lal was rushed to a nearby hospital in Safdurjung Enclave, but was later declared dead at the Apollo Hospital.

The post-mortem was conducted at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Police discovered that Ramani's restaurant was hosting a party that night at which Jessica and other models, including Ramani's daughter Malini, were serving as bartenders.

At about 0200 hours, when the party was almost over, Sharma with his friends Amardeep Singh, Alok Khanna, Amit Jhingan and Vikas Yadav, allegedly entered the restaurant and demanded liquor from Jessica.

When she told Sharma that liquor was not available, he lost his temper and fired once in the air and the second time at Jessica. The bullet struck her temple and she died on the spot.

Sharma fled from the restaurant with his friends in a Tata Sierra. According to the chargesheet, he spent the night in Vikas Yadav's Ghaziabad house. The car was found abandoned in NOIDA.

Sharma later surrendered and was arrested on May 6 in Chandigarh. He has been in custody since then.

Vikas Yadav was nabbed on May 30 and is also in custody. The other accused, with the exception of three persons, were arrested, but released on bail.

Ravinder Krishan Sudan, Raja Chopra and Dhanraj have eluded the police.

The case is listed to come up for cognisance tomorrow.

UNI

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