January 20,2019:
Manu Sharma, convict in Jessica Lal Murder case has moved High Court seeking premature release.
High Court had, on December 21, 2018 ordered Sushil Sharma’s premature release after quashing recommendations of Sentence Review Board (SRB), which had rejected his plea to be set free after over two decades of incarceration.
Siddhartha Vashishta, also known as Manu Sharma, who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for murder of model Jessica Lal in 1999, moved High Court.
Pleas is likely to be heard by Justice Najmi Waziri on Monday.
Manu Sharma (43), in his plea filed through Advocate Amit Sahni, has sought setting aside of October 4, 2018 SRB recommendation, rejecting his plea, as well as the December 7, 2018 order of the Delhi government, upholding the board’s view.
Convict has contended that reports received from several authorities, including Prison, Police and Social Welfare Department of Delhi Government, have recommended his premature release from prison.
According to Manu Sharma’s petition, he has served 15 years in jail without remission and over 20 years with remission and therefore, he is eligible for grant of premature release.
Remission is part of a sentence, which is granted to an accused after assessing his behaviour and conduct during his stay in jail and the period of interim bail or parole or furlough. A remission is added to the sentence undergone by a prisoner in jail.
Jessica Lal was shot dead by Manu Sharma after she had refused to serve him liquor at Tamarind Court Restaurant owned by Socialite Bina Ramani at Qutub Colonnade in South Delhi’s Mehrauli area on the night of April 30, 1999.
Source HT
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