| October 2, 2006, New Delhi---NDTV has access to an
audio CD in which Manu Sharma confesses in chilling detail to killing Jessica
Lall and making his getaway from the scene of the crime. There is also indication
that police did not use the statement against him in the case. It's a piece
of evidence that could also blow up in the Delhi police's face, as they would
have to explain why it wasn't used before. Lall was shot dead in a restaurant
on April 29, 1999 and Sharma's statement was recorded on a CD seven days later.
The CD has been presented to the Delhi High Court. "It was a fit case
and a fit situation to have offered to the court and to have allowed the court
to see it and then leave it to the court to reject or accept," said Kiran
Bedi, Director General, Bureau of Police Research & Development. "But
I think the investigating officer had no business to keep such a wonderful piece
of evidence which is a clear case of confession, if it is leading to more discoveries.
I think it is a clear case of a lapse," Bedi added. Explosive evidence In
his confession Manu Sharma says that hours before Jessica was killed, he arrived
in Delhi after attending a wedding in Jaipur. He then called his friends Vikas
Yadav, son of politician DP Yadav, and Tony Gill and they decided to go out. Transcript:
"We decided to go to Qutab Colonnade," Manu confessed to the
police. Manu: We reached at about 10:15 and there were a lot of people.
A lot of crowd was there, to my surprise. I went to the counter and asked
how much a whiskey bottle is for. He said Rs 2,400. So I bought a coupon for Rs
2,400 and I was trying to get in. At that point of time, there was some
guy in a black T-shirt who gave the first drink. Inside the bar, there were at
least three waiters behind the bar counter. There was Malini Ramani. Police:
Did you know Malini Ramani before?
Manu: No, sir. There was Jessica Lall, I
did not know her name. I was told even if you give a thousand bucks, I
will not give a sip of wine and I said that we have got an arrangement there.
I pulled out my pistol there. Police: Which pistol?
Manu: It is 22/.2Z
pistol made in Italy. Police: When did you buy it?
Manu: Three or four
months before. Police: How much did you pay for this? Manu: Sir, I
have a license from Chandigarh and bought it from Ambala for about Rs 16,000 and
I fired one shot in the air. Police: Air?
Manu: Yes, that is inside
the Colonade. So it went into the roof and nobody bothered, nobody moved. Then
I pointed at Jessica and what I intended to do was I pointed slightly away from
her so that I could see her hair, I wanted to generally shoot. Police:
What was the idea?
Manu: The idea at that time was to shoot in challenge.
It was embarrassing to hear that even if I paid a thousand bucks I would not get
a sip of drink. I pointed towards her a little and fired the shot. So I think
I hit someone, I was just trying to see what had happened, when this lady comes
up there. Police: What type of lady?
Manu: Oldish, thin and she says
you don't worry and stay here and then I realised something had happened. Then
I could hear people saying somebody has shot. I knew I should move. I took
a lift on scooter/motorcycle and I saw a little garden and sort of a dhaba and
I put my pistol there. I took a hitch from a scooter, a Tata Safari and a tractor
before I reached right in front of Tony's house. Alok and Vikas were all
there by that time. When I inquired, they told me, "I think she is dead".
I said single gunshot, he said, "yes". I said who is she – "Jessica
Lall". I said which hospital - they said we don't know. Manu: I was
slightly more scared. I said where is my car? They said we did not have the key,
we could not get it. I said I need to move it, Vikas. Vikas said okay,
we will get the car, you stay. So Vikas and Tony left me and then got the Safari
back. I remembered all of a sudden that my pistol was not with me, I did not readily
recollect the place this time. Vikas and Tony and I went and retrieved
the pistol. Vikas and I took the Tata Safari to his house, 15, Balwant Rai Mehta
Lane. We reached in early morning hours and made a couple of calls to our family
in Chandigarh". *** Those phone calls began an onslaught
of political pressure and influence, which guaranteed Manu Sharma's eventual acquittal.
Today, Manu runs a chain of bars and restaurants in Chandigarh. But the confession
confirms his guilt. Legal experts say that it is potentially explosive evidence.
"You can use that evidence during the course of investigation for recovery
of evidence, and if there is recovery based on that statement you can use it to
that effect," said Pinky Anand, lawyer, Supreme Court.
"The
fact that it wasn't used so far is what is worrying, but lets hope that it will
lead the case in the right direction now and help us out," said Sabrina Lall,
Jessica Lall's sister. What's especially important is that the statements on CD
is also incriminating for Delhi police, which has to explain why it wasn't used
the first time around.
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