Jessica case: Perjury proceedings against ballistic expert quashed

A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur has quashed the perjury proceedings initiated against the ballistic expert PS Manocha in the Jessica Lall murder case by the Delhi High Court in 2013. While clearing him of the charge under section 193 of the IPC, it observed he has been consistent that a definite opinion in the case could be given only if the suspected firearm is available for examination.

Manocha, in his capacity as an expert in the murder case, had to give his opinion before a trial court on whether the bullets fired at Jessica were from the same firearm. “It is nobody’s case that scientifically an expert can give a definite opinion by only examining cartridges as to whether they have been fired from the same firearm. It was the trial court which insisted for an opinion without the presence of the firearm, and in that context only, the appellant gave the non-specific and indefinite opinion,” the bench also comprising Justice Kurian Joseph said. 

In his appeal, Manocha had contended that he only tendered his opinion in response to a specific question by court and “that does not amount to even a borderline case of perjury”.  Jessica Lall was shot dead in April 1999 by Manu Sharma, son of Haryana Congress leader Venod Sharma after she refused to serve a drink to him at a late night party in south Delhi.