Jesica Lall murder convict on parole, seen partying

Manu Sharma, who is serving a life sentence in the Jesica Lall murder case, was granted parole to care for his ailing mother. While he was found partying, his mother was also seen addressing a news conference at a family-owned hotel in Chandigarh.

Senior BJP leader V K Malhotra accused the chief minister of personally recommending Sharma's parole, though it was sought in the false pretext of his mother's illness.  
He alleged that the Delhi government is going soft on Sharma, convicted in the 1999 murder of Lall, since he is the son of the influential Congress politician from Haryana and a former Union minister Vinod Sharma.

Sheila Dixit defended the decision to grant Sharma's parole saying that it was taken by a committee comprising the jail superintendent, home secretary, Delhi Government, the territory's police and the lieutenant governor.

"There was nothing illegal in granting parole to him. It is the right of a prisoner to apply for parole. The committee recommends a parole after considering the complete case history of the applicant," said Sheila Dixit.

Sharma is serving a life imprisonment in Delhi's Tihar Jail for murdering model Jesica Lall on April 29, 1999. He applied for parole stating that his mother was ill and he had to look after her. He was granted parole for 30 days on September 24 last.

Sheila Dixit had allegedly recommended for extending his parole for a further 30 days till November 22.

But Sharma was spotted partying in an elite night club in Delhi on the night of November 6 and 7.

His mother Shakti Rani Sharma was seen briefing media persons about a national under-19 women's cricket tournament at the family-run Piccadilly Hotel in Chandigarh on Saturday.

Shakti Rani Sharma is general secretary of the Chandigarh Women Cricket Association, which is organising the tournament that began on Sunday.

While defending the chief minister, the Congress has said that the  authorities concerned should examine any possible violation by Sharma.  "Appropriate action should be taken against him if he has flouted the rules," said All India Congress Committee spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi.