NEW DELHI — 1999 · Murder
The Murder of Jessica Lal
Model Jessica Lal was shot dead on the night of 30 April 1999 at a party at the Qutab Colonnade restaurant in Mehrauli, where she was working as a bartender, by a guest to whom she had refused to serve drinks after closing time. The killer was the son of an influential politician. In February 2006 the trial court acquitted the accused, citing witnesses who had turned hostile and the missing weapon. After a wave of public outrage, the Delhi High Court convicted the killer that December and sentenced him to life; the Supreme Court upheld the verdict in 2010. The case became a symbol of debates over witness intimidation and access to justice in India.
- Date
- 1999
- Place
- Mehrauli, Delhi, India, New Delhi, IN
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 28.5200, 77.1850 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 30 April 1999Jessica Lal was shot dead at a restaurant in Mehrauli.
- 21 February 2006The trial court acquitted the accused.
- December 2006The Delhi High Court sentenced the killer to life imprisonment.
- 19 April 2010The Supreme Court upheld the conviction.
- June 2020The killer was released for good conduct.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Murder of Jessica Lal en.wikipedia.org ↗
- The Tribune — Supreme Court verdict (20 April 2010) tribuneindia.com ↗
- The Tribune — Jessica murder convict walks out of Tihar tribuneindia.com ↗
- Wikipedia
- The Tribune
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.