Click to play videoNew Delhi: Along with relief came celebrations for the Lall family soon after the verdict was announced by the Delhi High Court in Jessica murder case on Monday.
Jessica’s sister, Sabrina Lall—the person who had been battling for justice for past eight-years finally celebrated the victory. She opened a bottle of champagne and celebrated with friends and family together at the Lall residence in the Capital. Ten months ago the trial court had acquitted Manu Sharma. The months that have followed have been nothing less than a roller coaster ride, says Sabrina.
In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN Sabrina thanked the media for pushing Jessica’s case and keeping it alive for the past 8-years. "It is because of you people, the media that started a campaign ‘justice for Jessica’ and generated the public outcry that actually gave me the strength to fight on further. We have all managed to bring this case to a logical conclusion," she said.
Ironically, this time on the final hearing Sabrina did not attend the court trial. She had said that the case seems strong at this point and had hoped for justice to prevail finally. Now that Manu Sharma along with three other key accused has been convicted, Lall considers it a huge relief.
“It is because of you people, the media that started a campaign ‘justice for Jessica’ and generated the public outcry that actually gave me the strength to fight on further.” |
"Needless to say but it was a big sense of relief for me. I felt like a burden has been lifted off me, something that I had been roaming around with for so many years. The first thing was to believe that justice has finally happened—something that we all had been fighting for so many years," she said.
Sabrina said that it was her business partner and friend who helped her fight the case all these years and finally give her the message about the verdict that came on Monday.
“My business partner who has helped me deal with this case for the past seven-and-half years was the first one to SMS me. All that the SMS said was ‘convicted’ and that was it,” she said.
Sabrina adds that in the entire 8-year long battle, there were times when she wanted to let it go. “Honestly speaking, I felt like quitting many times. The first time when I felt so was when Manu Sharma got bail in January 2002. Even after that, the way things were going and evidences were being manipulated in lower court; I felt that things weren’t heading in the right direction really.”
Sabrina says that she had given up hopes of getting justice when all the accused got acquittal this year in February. The news of Manu Sharma and Vikas Yadav being convicted was a big shock but half-expected for her.
Now that Manu Sharma has been convicted, what quantum of punishment does she expects would the court announce for him?
“As far as I know, for conviction under section 302, the person gets either a death sentence or life imprisonment. But the quantum of punishment is something that has never bothered me. I was keen on court being acknowledging the fact that Manu Sharma shot Jessica. I did not want to live with a question mark all my life. It does not matter whether he is put behind bars for 14, 20, 10 or may be 7 years. All that matters is that he has been acknowledged to be guilty and would be punished for the same.”
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