Sister of murdered Delhi model pins hopes for justice on retrial
The sister of a murdered New Delhi model, whose case sparked allegations of a high-society cover-up, has welcomed police efforts to retry the case and pleaded for a full and fair investigation.
Jessica Lall was shot dead in front of a room full of witnesses at an exclusive nightspot in 1999. All nine accused of involvement in the killing were recently acquitted, but police this week filed an appeal in the Delhi High Court seeking a retrial, arguing that a lower court had ignored vital evidence against suspected gunman Manu Sharma and his alleged accomplices.
He is the son of influential politician Vinod Sharma of the ruling Congress party.
'It [the appeal] is a positive step by the police. Let's hope that there will be a fair investigation and trial now. I hope everyone who denied justice to my sister will be punished this time,' said Sabrina Lall.
'Towards the beginning of the trial we wanted nothing but the killer of my sister to be punished. But now we think we shall not be satisfied unless we see even those who were responsible for botching the trial punished.'
Legal experts said police flubbed the case, and the acquittal this month came after prosecution witnesses turned hostile.
However, the case has been clouded by suggestions of interference and a cover-up from the very beginning. The day after the murder took place in 1999, a junior commissioner of Delhi police reported that one of the bullet casings from the shooting had been tampered with by investigators.
Two years later, joint commissioner of Delhi police Krishan Kant Paul - now commissioner of Delhi police - wrote: 'There has obviously been a conspiracy between the accused and certain officials.'
Although the 44-page police appeal this week detailed how witnesses had allegedly perjured themselves, it made no reference to police conspiracy.
'[In the appeal] they made reference to the flip-flop by public witnesses - they should have pointed out the glaring loopholes in the investigations by the police officers,' said Ms Lall. 'However, I believe [police officers] will not be able to escape because they have already been exposed. Somehow those officers will be dragged to the court. It is now known to the whole country that they colluded with the accused.
'It is the police who botched the investigations in the first place. This fact must be brought to the court's notice. If the court is kept in the dark over this collusion it will be difficult to convict the main killer.'
The acquittal sparked public outrage but many doubt police efforts to reopen the case.
'I think, [it is] simply to pacify the public anger that senior police officials ordered the investigation,' said Salahuddin Ahmed, a legal activist. 'It was not intended to bring the erring investigators to book, probably. If it is admitted officially that investigators connived with the accused, the entire police force will face big embarrassment.'
However, before filing the appeal Mr Paul met Ms Lall and, she said, admitted that 'mistakes' by investigating officers were a key factor in Sharma's acquittal.
'He [Mr Paul] seemed sincere when he promised his best effort this time to convince the court how the accused got away with the ghastly murder. He accepted that some of his officers had made mistakes [in the investigation], but we could trust him this time. And, we have to trust him now. We have no other choice,' said Ms Lall.
Ms Lall said that she wanted the witnesses who reversed their testimony to be punished as well.
'The accused are from affluent, well-connected, politically influential families and they are powerful - we are being reminded time and again,' she said. 'Still we hope we shall get justice ... maybe we are just hoping against hope.'
