In the sensational murder case of model Jessica lall, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday ordered prosecution of model-turned-actor Shayan Munshi and ballistics expert PS Manocha for turning hostile in the case. The court ordered that both the witnesses be tried for perjury for changing their stance in the case.
The maximum punishment, if guilty of perjury, is up to seven years imprisonment. The court discharged 17 other witnesses from the charge of providing false evidence during their deposition while directing its Registrar General to file a complaint against Munshi and ballistic expert Manocha before the trial court.
“The Registrar General of this court to file a complaint before the competent court having jurisdiction to consider and take action under Section 340 of CrPC against the respondents (Munshi and Manocha),” a bench of justices S Ravindra Bhat and GP Mittal said. In 2006, while delivering verdict in Jessica lall case, the high court had taken suo-motu cognizance of witnesses turning hostile.
The bench also directed the Delhi Government to evolve a witness protection programme in ten weeks. The court said that the issue of witness protection must be treated as a PIl. “The registry is directed to list the matter on July 8 before appropriate bench after obtaining orders of Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court,” the bench said. Munshi, who had lodged the FIR in the case, had pleaded to the court not to prosecute him saying, “He cannot be termed hostile as even the apex court had used part of his deposition in convicting the accused.” Munshi, the complainant in the case, had disowned the complaint during the trial, saying he did not know Hindi.
lall was shot dead in April 1999 by Manu Sharma, son of Haryana Congress leader Vinod Sharma after she refused to serve a drink to him at a late night party at socialite Bina Ramani’s restaurant Tamarind Court in South Delhi. The High Court, which reversed trial court’s verdict acquitting the accused on December 18, 2006, awarded life imprisonment to Manu Sharma.