This story is about Jessica Lal, a famous model from Delhi. The same Jessica Lal, who was murdered simply because she refused to serve a peg of liquor to a nobleman. In 2011, the superhit film 'No One Killed Jessica' was made on the same Jessica's murder case. The title of the film itself tells the story of Jessica.
Jessica was shot in front of hundreds of people at a high-profile club, with people hearing gunshots and seeing the killer run away, but when the case went to court, all 33 witnesses turned away. He said that Jessica was killed, but it is not known who killed her. The next day the news was printed in the newspaper 'No One Killed Jessica'.
This fight continued for a long time. The court acquitted them all, but Jessica's sister Sabrina and the people of the country did not give up. Jessica finally got justice after 10 years.
It is said that if Jessica was alive, she would have been a part of Bollywood films, but unfortunately that was not to be.
Today, read the sequential story of the high profile Jessica Lal murder case in 3 chapters of the untold story –
Jessica Lal was born on January 5, 1965 in New Delhi, fondly called 'Shona' by her family. Jessica was the eldest daughter of the house. Sabrina was younger than him. Jessica, who dreamed of becoming a heroine since childhood, entered the world of modeling from an early age. Jessica gained a good reputation while modeling in Delhi. However, whenever she needed money, she used to earn money by doing small jobs.
Jessica met Malini Ramani while modeling. Malini was also a model, whose mother Bina Ramani owned a restaurant called Tamarind Court in the Qutub Colony Haveli, Mehrauli, Delhi. Malini's father George Mailhot was a big businessman.
Socialite Bina Ramani with husband George Mailhot
Bina Ramani was a part of high profile society, having once tied the rakhi to showman Raj Kapoor and many big names like Zeenat Aman were part of her circle of friends.
Malini's father George was scheduled to shift to Canada in May 1999, prompting her mother to host a high-profile farewell party on 29 April. Malini knew that Jessica needed work. When her mother Bina needed a good-looking bar tender for a special party, Malini offered Jessica the job. Jessica happily agreed to the job for the extra income.
Jessica left home with her sister Sabrina in the morning. Sabrina drops them. At this time, Jessica asked him to come to Tamarind in the evening. That day Jessica's friend and model Shayan Munshi also came with her for bar tendering work.
Jessica's job was to serve alcohol to high-profile guests at a party held at Tamarind Court Restaurant on April 29, surprisingly, the restaurant didn't even have a liquor license.
Although a private high-profile party was organized at the Tamarind Court restaurant that day, there were some guests who arrived uninvited. The only condition was that it should be high profile.
The killer Siddharth suddenly arrived at that restaurant
Siddharth Sharma is the son of famous Haryana leader Vinod Sharma. Vinod Sharma has been an MP and Union Minister. His son Siddharth alias Manu was aware of his father's money and power. Siddharth was supposed to go to Chandigarh with his mother on 29 May, but decided to stay in Delhi instead of going to Chandigarh. He lived with his friends in a house in Delhi's New Friends Colony. Everyone drank a lot. Suddenly late at night he remembered that there was a special party at Tamarind Court Restaurant on Wednesday. He took the car and reached the party around 2 am along with his three friends Vikas Yadav, Amardeep Gill and Alok Khanna.
Siddharth Sharma aka Manu Son of Neta Vinod Sharma
Although it was a private party, Siddharth entered it. He ordered liquor from the bar tender Jessica Lal but the party was almost over so Jessica refused to serve him liquor. Seeing this, he took out 1000 rupees from his pocket and gave it to Jessica and then ordered alcohol. Jessica again refused.
Seeing himself being humiliated in front of his friends, Siddharth took out a 22 caliber pistol from his pocket and fired three shots in the air. The noise at the party was so much that the guests present were not alerted.
Siddharth then threatened Jessica and asked for alcohol. Even after firing in the air, Jessica refused to serve alcohol. When she refused for the third time, Siddharth shot Jessica in the head. As soon as the shot rang out, Jessica fell down, seeing which her friend Shayan Munshi, who was with her, started shouting loudly. There was complete silence in the party. Jessica lay unconscious on the floor covered in blood.
Seeing this, Bina Ramani, the owner of the restaurant, came and shouted at Siddharth and asked, who are you How did you bring a gun to the party?
In reply he said, I did not shoot.
Saying that he ran away with his three friends. Jessica was rushed to the nearby Ashlok Hospital, but was referred to Apollo Hospital from there.
Meanwhile, Jessica's sister Sabrina gets a call to inform her that her sister has been taken to the hospital. A short time later a call was made that Jessica had been shot. Doctors have declared him brought dead at Apollo Hospital. When his sister Sabrina came to know about this, she could not understand anything.
Picture of Sabrina Lal with sister Jessica.
On the other hand, Siddharth Sharma buried the weapon in the ground in Mehrauli itself and then all reached Vikas Yadav's house in Ghaziabad.
As soon as the information about the incident came to light, the Delhi Police started an investigation. Statements of almost everyone present at the party were taken. Several people said during police interrogation that they had seen Siddharth Sharma shoot and run away. A key testimony in the case was Jessica's friend Shayan Munshi, who was standing next to Jessica at the time of the incident.
In his police statement, he said that Siddharth opened fire. The police recorded the statement, which was also signed by Shayan.
Jessica's friend Shayan Munshi
Jessica's friend told police he witnessed the shooting
Shayan Munshi, a close friend of Jessica and who was present with her at the party, recorded her statement during the filing of the report, a key witness in the case. In the police statement, he said that it was Siddharth who shot Jessica. The police recorded his statement and also took his signature.
Siddharth Sharma, the main accused in the investigation, and his family absconded, while his two accomplices, Alok Khanna and Amardeep Gill, were arrested on May 4. On the same day, restaurant owner Bina Ramani, husband George Mailhot and her daughter Malini Ramani were arrested. He was accused of keeping alcohol in the restaurant without a license and cleaning bloodstains from the floor after Jessica's murder.
On these allegations, Bina Ramani said in the TV show 'Aap Ki Adalat' – 'When the bullets were fired, I heard the sound and ran out. Jessica was on the ground and bystanders were pointing at a man saying that he had fired the shot. A boy in a white t-shirt and jeans was running. I asked everyone to inform the police and stopped him from running away. The boy pushed me and ran away, so I asked my husband George to chase after him.'
After that we called Ashlok Hospital and informed about this. When I reached the scene, the staff wrapped Jessica with a table cloth. With the help of the staff, we took him to the hospital. Why would I clean the blood off the floor in such a situation? The boy who took Jessica to the hospital also had blood stains on his shirt. We also handed over that shirt to the police.'
“The Delhi court granted bail based on the statements and on the basis that B was a British citizen, her husband a Canadian citizen and daughter Malini Ramani an American, though their passports were confiscated.”
On August 3, 1999, the police filed a charge sheet in the case. When the matter reached the court, around 100 people testified in the court, but no one made any statement against Siddharth in the court. Shayan Munshi, a key witness in the case and Jessica's friend, also retracted his statement.
When he was told that he had made a statement against Siddharth during interrogation, he replied that he did not know Hindi. The police wrote and signed the statement in Hindi, they did not know what was written in the statement. He also said that while Siddharth shot in the air, someone else shot Jessica. The forensic report also revealed that the bullets were fired from two different revolvers.
The case lasted for 6 years, the court acquitted all the accused
February 21, 2006
While giving the verdict, the Delhi trial court said that the Delhi Police failed to find the weapon used in the murder of Jessica Lal. She could not prove the allegations against Siddharth. The court has acquitted all the accused due to lack of witnesses and evidence. The next day after the result from the court the news was in the newspapers – No One Killed Jessica.
There was public outrage at how, despite it being an open-and-shut case, everyone was acquitted. Protests against the verdict took place across the country, people took to the streets and dharnas were held in many places over the lack of justice.
Indian media also played an important role in this case. Many channels like NDTV, Hindustan Times conducted public polls and encouraged public opinion and voting to reopen the case. In most of the polls, the public raised questions on law and order and demanded reopening of the case. Channels had more than 2 lakh such messages. The channels conveyed these messages to the President.
Following public outcry, on 18 April 2006 a bench of Justices Manmohan Sarin and Justice J.M. Malik's bench released Manu Sharma on bail of Rs 1 lakh. He also questioned the Delhi Police and requested that the case should be reopened and the verdict delivered in the shortest possible time.
As the sting operation unfolded, witnesses took money and changed their statements
On September 9, 2006, news magazine Tehelka conducted a sting operation, which was featured in Star News. In this many witnesses were heard saying that they were asked to change their statements by paying money and under pressure. Witnesses took lakhs of rupees. It has come to light that leader Vinod Sharma had given money to everyone to save his son. Vinod Sharma resigned from the Haryana cabinet as soon as this sting came to light.
Tehelka magazine also conducted a sting on key witness Shayan Munshi. During this time, a sting journalist approached him as a casting manager in the film industry. When the journalist said that it will be a Hindi film, but you don't know Hindi, Shayan immediately recited many Hindi dialogues, while in court he said that he does not know Hindi.
Shayan Munshi's sting operation.
The case was reopened under public and media pressure. Finally, on December 15, 2006, a High Court bench of Justice RS Sodhi and Justice PK Bhasin delivered a 61-page judgment, convicting Siddharth Sharma alias Manu.
On December 20, 2006, Siddharth was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering Jessica. Friends present with him were sentenced to 4 years each. Shayan Munshi, who retracted his statement, was prosecuted for perjury. On 19 April 2010, the Supreme Court also sealed the life imprisonment of the convict Siddharth.
Where are the people involved in Jessica's murder now?
Siddharth Sharma- In the year 2020, Siddharth Sharma is released due to good behavior. He runs his family business.
sabrina- Jessica's sister Sabrina died in 2021 due to liver disease. His parents also died during the trial.
Sabrina Lal with a photo of sister Jessica
Shayan Munshi- Jessica's friend and the main witness in the case Shayan Munshi is an actor. He started his acting career with Aryan Band's music album Yeh Hawa Kahti Hai Kya. After this, he was also a part of big films like 'Zhankar Beats', 'Mausam', 'My Brother Nikhil', 'Ahista Ahista', 'Chef'.
Bina Ramani- After this case, his restaurant was closed. She is now active as a fashion designer, writer and social activist.
Malini Ramani- Jessica's friend and Bina Ramani's daughter Malini works as a fashion-interior designer and yoga instructor.
Vikas Yadav- Her friend Vikas Yadav, who was present with Siddharth Sharma at the time of the murder, is still in jail accused of murdering Nitish Katara, the sister's lover.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
