Some incidents shake the very core of the nation and force people to take to the streets, demanding fairness from a system that is often twisted and manipulated at the whim of those in power. One such case was the murder of Jessica Lal, who was shot dead by the son of an influential politician. Justice for her was delayed — until nationwide protests made it impossible to deny.
Her case later became the subject of Rajkumar Gupta’s unforgettable crime drama No One Killed Jessica, a film that continues to remain relevant even 14 years after its release. But what actually happened on that fateful night in 1999? Who killed Jessica? Where is he now? And why does the case still matter in upholding India’s democratic values? Let’s take a look.
The real-life story of Jessica Lal’s murder
On April 29, 1999, Jessica Lal, who was 34 at the time, was among several models serving drinks as celebrity barmaids at a private party at Delhi socialite Bina Ramani’s high-end restaurant Tamarind Court, overlooking the Qutub Minar in South Delhi’s Mehrauli. The restaurant ran out of liquor at midnight. Shortly after, Siddharth Vashisht, also known as Manu Sharma — the son of former Haryana Congress leader Venod Sharma — walked into the restaurant with his friends.
He demanded that Jessica serve them drinks even after the bar had closed. When she refused, he allegedly fired gunshots in the air before pointing the gun at Jessica and allegedly shooting her in the head. “My sister’s life was more valuable than a Rs 1000 or a glass of wine!” Jessica’s sister Sabrina Lal had said in an interview with Humans Of Bombay. Sharma and his friends fled the restaurant, and Jessica was rushed to Apollo Hospital, where she was declared dead by doctors. On August 3, 1999, a chargesheet was filed against Manu Sharma and others for killing Jessica under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.
During the Sessions Court trial in 2001, several eyewitnesses turned hostile and refused to identify Manu Sharma. However, restaurant owner Bina Ramani, her Canadian husband George Mailhot and her daughter Malini Ramani identified Manu Sharma as the shooter. Despite Bina Ramani and her family’s testimony, in February 2006, the trial court acquitted Sharma and several co-accused, citing lack of sufficient evidence as many key witnesses had turned hostile.
This verdict led to massive public outrage, with hundreds of people taking to the streets in Delhi to protest against the acquittal. Following the protests, the Delhi High Court reopened the case on a fast-track basis with day-to-day hearings. After a years-long legal battle, in December 2006, the High Court overturned Manu Sharma’s acquittal and convicted him, along with two other accused — Vikas Yadav, son of a UP politician, and Amardeep Singh Gill alias Tony. The court awarded life imprisonment to the main accused, Manu Sharma. His subsequent bail pleas were rejected.
Manu Sharma was convicted of killing Jessica Lal. (Express file Photo)
Rani broke the mould, Zeeshan earned award in debut role in No One Killed Jessica
No One Killed Jessica remains one of the most memorable films in Hindi cinema. It is a film that has never lost its relevance and continues to remind audiences of the deep-rooted nexus between corruption, politics and power in the country. Released on January 7, 2011, the film emerged as a commercial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing Indian films of the year. The film has completed 15 years of release.
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Rani Mukerji played the foul-mouthed, hard-talking and fearless journalist Meera Gaity, earning massive praise from critics for stepping away from her usual “pretty woman” roles. Playing against type, Rani delivered one of the most striking performances of her career. Vidya Balan, meanwhile, portrayed Sabrina Lal, Jessica Lal’s sister, with quiet strength and restraint, anchoring the film emotionally. No One Killed Jessica was one of the first films that reinforced the belief that female-led films could succeed commercially.
The film also brought widespread recognition to Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, who played a character based on Manu Sharma. Marking his debut, Zeeshan won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance.
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Where is Manu Sharma now?
After spending over 15 years in prison, Manu Sharma was released in 2020 for “satisfactory jail conduct.” After completing his jail term, Manu changed his name to Siddharth Sharma and is now among the promoters of Piccadilly Distilleries. In 2021, the company launched its most successful single malt whisky, Indri
