New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sentenced Vikas Yadav and Amardeep Singh Gill – the co-accused in the Jessica Lall murder case – to four years rigorous imprisonment each for aiding and abetment of crime.
The court also slapped a fine of Rs 2,000 each on the duo.
Vikas Yadav is the son of powerful UP politician D P Yadav, while Gill till recently worked for a multinational, but lost his job after the verdict was pronounced.
Yadav is also the main accused in the Nitish Katara murder case and is currently under judicial custody in Delhi's Tihar jail.
The Delhi High Court while delivering the verdict said both Gill and Yadav had removed the black Tata Safari car - which Manu had abandoned in the parking area - after shooting Jessica at Qutub Colonnade restaurant on April 29, 1999.
After the quantum of sentenced was announced, Yadav's lawyer said that they will move the Supreme Court challenging the High Court's verdict.
'Gill spent sleepless nights'
Amardeep Singh alias Tony had moved the court on Tuesday seeking bail on mercy ground.
His lawyer R D Rana said that Gill had been getting sleepless nights after Manu's lawyer Ram Jethmalani came up with the theory that it was a "tall, Sikh gentleman" who had shot Jessica. Incidentally, it was only Gill who matched the description.
"The quantum of punishment is very harsh," Rana said. He also argued that his client did not know that moving a car amounted to destruction of evidence.
However, the Bench agreed with prosecution arguments that it was a case in which the convicts knew the gravity of offence yet they shielded the facts and tried to destroy the evidence.
"We are of the view that Tony Gill cannot be released by giving benefit under Probation of Offender's Act," the Bench said.
Gill – who was convicted under sections 201 (destruction of evidence) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) – stated that all the offences under these sections were bailable under the law and that he was entitled to a bail.
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