Have forgiven Manu Sharma, wouldn’t object to his release: Sabrina Lal

Sumedha Sharma

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Tribune News Service

Gurugram, April 22

Sabrina Lal on Monday said she had forgiven her sister Jessica Lal’s killer Manu Sharma and wouldn’t object to his release from Tihar jail, where he has been serving his life term since 2006.

Sabrina said she held no grudges against Sharma now as the only thing she had ever wanted was him to be convicted.

“It can’t go on forever. This two decade long fight for justice consumed me and took everything away  but today I feel I have got it for me, my parents and Jessica so its time to let go . 

“I have not forgiven him probably will never, but yes I am taking the first step towards my own catharsis. After twenty years of pain and anger today I say I don’t mind if he walks free,” Sabrina Lal said.

Sabrina, who probably started with this moving on process a while ago, made it official in a letter shot to the welfare office of Tihar jail wherein she mentioned that she had no objection to the release of Siddharth Vashishta, alias Manu Sharma, as he had spent 15 years in prison.

“In this period, he has been doing good work for charity and helping inmates in jail, which I feel is a reflection of reform,” she reportedly stated in the letter.

The letter was an answer to a communication from jail authorities regarding financial assistance from the victim welfare fund.

“I don’t want compensation and requested them to give the same to others, who are more in need. He probably has applied for bail, I stated I had no objection if he was allowed to walk free,” said Lal while addressing media at her residence today.

Rubbishing claims of any settlement, she said she was doing it more for herself than anybody else.

“It was just in 1999 that his parents had come to meet my parents and nothing after that. Yes people wonder and are questioning me how can I forgive him but its more for myself than him.

“The anger, pain and urge to avenge my family’s misery indicted equal pain on me as the accused. As the bible says to attain peace, reclaim my life and add hope we need to forgive and forget. It took years and huge emotional courage to reach this pedestal and convincingly say the anger is over,” added Lal.

Manu Sharma, the son of former Union Minister Venod Sharma, was awarded life imprisonment for shooting model Jessica Lal in 1999 at Tamarind Court restaurant in south Delhi’s Mehrauli for refusing him a drink.

The incident grabbed national attention. It was only in 2006 that the Delhi High Court convicted him and he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The punishment was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2010. Sharma was moved to an “open jail” almost six months ago considering his good conduct.