Relief for officers in the Jessica case; HC closes proceedings

NEW DELHI: In a relief to the Delhi Police officers in the Jessica Lall murder case, the Delhi High Court on Friday closed the proceedings against them for their alleged manipulation of investigation.

"No positive findings of any criminalty against the police officers was found in the SIT report," a bench of Justice RS Sodhi and Justice PK Bhasin said in the order, while disposing of a suo motu petition against them.

The order came after Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium informed the bench that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) found nothing against any police officer who were investigating the case.

The bench also directed the police to file a closure report before the Magistrate concerned to quash the FIR and also asked the High Court Registry to return all the three reports submitted by the police before it in this connection.

On March 6, last year, the SIT had registered an FIR to find the alleged laxity committed by the police officers in the Jessica Lall murder case.

The Court had taken suo motu cognisance against the policemen following the media reports that all accused, including Manu Sharma, son of former Union Minister Venod Sharma, were acquitted by a trial court due to lapses on the part of police officers.

Ramp model Jessica Lall was shot dead on the intervening night April 29-30, 1999 after she allegedly refused to serve liquor to Sharma at a South-Delhi restaurant owned by socialite Bina Ramani.