New Delhi: April 29, 1999: Jessica Lall, model and celebrity bartender at socialite Bina Ramani's restaurant Tamarind Court, shot was dead by Manu Sharma, son of Congress leader Binod Sharma.
Manu, accompanied by his friends Tony, Alok Khanna and Vikas Yadav, visited the Tamarind Court on the day. He was already in an inebriated state but asked for more liquor from the celebrity barmaid Jessica, which she refused. An enraged Manu then shot at Jessica twice at point blank range, killing her.
May 4, 1999: While Manu Sharma continued to abscond, two of his other friends were arrested.
May 6, 1999: Manu Sharma surrenders.
May 8, 1999: Bina Ramani, along with husband George Mailhot and daughter Malini, arrested and later bailed out, for serving liquor without a license.
August 3, 1999: Delhi Police filed the chargesheet in the court of Metropolitan Magistrate, wherein Manu Sharma was named the main accused and charged under sections 302 (murder), 201 (destruction of evidence), 120(b) (criminal conspiracy), and 212 (harbouring suspects) of the Indian Penal Code; and sections 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act.
May 3, 2001: Shayan Munshi, an eyewitness, model and friend of Jessica Lall, turns hostile. Two other eyewitnesses, too, later turn hostile.
October 12, 2001: Bina Ramani identifies Manu as the person whom she had tried to stop from fleeing the crime scene.
February 21, 2006: Manu Sharma and eight others were acquitted by a lower court. This led to a huge public outcry. The Delhi High Court took suo moto notice of the acquittal and reopened the case after an appeal by the Delhi Police.
December 18, 2006: Charging Manu with murder, destroying evidence and under Arms Act, the Delhi High Court sentenced him to life imprisonment. Manu Sharma appealed against the judgement in the Supreme Court.
February 18, 2010: The Supreme Court reserved its judgement.
April 19, 2010: The Supreme Court upholds the life sentence given to Manu Sharma for the murder of Jessica Lall.