Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 15 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Tuesday asked if all witnesses who turned hostile in the 1999 murder of model Jessica Lall should be prosecuted, and said witnesses turning hostile has become “endemic”.

The bench of Justice S. Ravindra Bhat and Justice G.P. Mittal said: “How will the case of the prosecution move? The incidents of witnesses turning hostile and doctored evidence have become endemic now. Somebody fears for his life, someone gets tempted, and someone does not support (the prosecution) for obvious reasons. Should we go ahead and prosecute all of them?”

The court Feb 18 resumed perjury proceedings against 19 witnesses in the model’s murder.

There were 32 witnesses who turned went hostile, out of which three died and 10 were discharged.

The court’s observations came after Delhi Police submitted a copy of the April 2010 Supreme Court verdict upholding the conviction of prime accused Siddharth Vashisht alias Manu Sharma for the murder.

The court was hearing petitions against all the trial court witnesses who did not support the police version leading to the acquittal of Manu Sharma and eight others in the case.

Jessica was shot dead April 29, 1999 by Manu Sharma after she refused to serve a drink to him at a party at socialite Bina Ramani’s restaurant Tamarind Court in south Delhi.

The high court reversed the trial court’s verdict Dec 18, 2006 and awarded life imprisonment to Manu Sharma and issued notices to witnesses, asking them why they should not be prosecuted for the offence of perjury.

The case would be heard next March 29.