Manu Sharma, undergoing life term for killing model Jessica Lall in 1999, was granted parole for a “specified period” by Delhi High Court to enable him to appear for his LLB first semester exams.
Justice Ashutosh Kumar granted parole to the convict from December 10 to 15 and then from December 20 to January 1 next year while directing him to “keep away from the houses of the witnesses and the deceased’s family members”. It asked Sharma to furnish a bond of Rs 50,000, with two sureties of the amount.
The court also said that Sharma shall not “display any unruly behaviour during the period he was out on parole”. “In case he (Sharma) is found involved in any of such behaviour, the authorities concerned can approach this court and request for withdrawal of the relief granted to him by this court,” the court said, adding that “parole is for a specified period and for a specific reason”.
Sharma sought a month’s parole to write his exams, which were to commence from December 26 till December 30. He also has to appear for a Personal Contact Programme beginning from December 11. Observing that these are genuine prayers, the judge said he would not prevent Sharma from writing exams.
The court said that Sharma should not make any excuse and shall surrender on December 15 before sunset. Sharma has completed a post-graduate diploma in Human Rights and is now pursuing a Bachelor’s in Law course from Annamalai University, Chennai. He was earlier granted a 30-day parole on December 26, 2014, to appear for his post-graduation exams.
Sharma, son of former Union Minister Venod Sharma, was awarded life imprisonment by the high court in December 2006 for killing Jessica Lall in 1999. Lall was shot dead by Sharma after she refused to serve him liquor at the Tamarind Court restaurant.
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