Jessica Lal case: 11-year-long battle for justice

Following is the chronology of events in the Jessica Lal murder case:

• April 29-30 1999: Jessica shot at a party in Qutub Colonnade restaurant in south Delhi.
  
• April 30, 1999: Doctors at Apollo Hospital declare Jessica brought dead.
  
• May 2, 1999: Delhi Police recovers Tata Safari car belonging to Manu Sharma, son of Haryana Congress leader Venod Sharma, from Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
  
• May 6, 1999: Manu surrenders before a court in Chandigarh. Subsequently 10 other co-accused, including Vikas Yadav, son of UP politician D P Yadav, arrested.
  
• August 3, 1999: Chargesheet filed against accused for killing Jessica under various sections of IPC.
  
• January 31, 2000: Magistrate court commits the case to a Sessions court for trial.
  
• November 23, 2000: Sessions court frames charges for murder against nine persons and discharges one accused, Amit Jhingan, while declaring Ravinder Sudan alias Titu as proclaimed offender.
  
• May 2, 2001: Court starts recording of prosecution evidence. Deepak Bhojwani, an eye witness deposes before the trial court.
  
• May 3, 2001: Complainant and eye witness Shyan Munshi turns hostile and fails to identify Manu in court.
  
• May 5, 2001: Another eye witness Shiv Das, an electrician at Qutub Colonnade, turns hostile.
  
• May 16, 2001: Third key witness Karan Rajput turns hostile.
  
• July 6, 2001: Malini Ramani, eyewitness, identifies Manu.
  
• October 12, 2001: Socialite Bina Ramani, owner of the restaurant and bar, identifies
  Manu.
  
• October 17, 2001: George Mailhot, Ramani's Canadian husband, deposes and identifies Manu.
  
• July 20, 2004: Surinder Sharma, controversial investigating officer in the case, deposes after returning from UN assignment in Kosovo.
  
• February 21, 2006: Trial court acquits all nine accused due to lack of evidence against them.
  
• March 13, 2006: Delhi Police file appeal in the high court.
  
• October 3, 2006: High Court begins hearing on appeal on a day-to-day basis.
  
• November 29, 2006: High Court reserves its verdict.
  
• December 18, 2006: High Court convicts Manu, Vikas Yadav and Amardeep Singh Gill alias Tony and acquits Aloke Khanna, Vikas Gill, Harvinder Singh Chopra, Raja Chopra, Shyam Sunder Sharma and Yograj Singh.
  
• December 20, 2006: High Court awards life imprisonment term to main convict Manu Sharma with a fine of Rs 50,000 and also sentences co-convicts Amardeep Singh Gill and Vikas Yadav to four years' prison term with Rs 3,000 fine each.
  
• February 2, 2007: Manu Sharma appeals in the Supreme Court.
  
• March 8, 2007: Supreme Court admits Manu Sharma's appeal.
  
• November 27, 2007: Supreme Court rejects Manu Sharma's bail plea.
  
• May 12, 2008: Supreme Court again rejects Manu Sharma's bail plea.
  
• January 19, 2010: Supreme Court commences hearing on Manu Sharma's appeal.
  
• February 18, 2010: Supreme Court reserves verdict on the appeal of Manu Sharma.
  
• April 19, 2010: Supreme Court upholds conviction and life term of Manu.