Police corners Munshi in Jessica case

New Delhi: The public outcry over the Jessica Lall murder case has prompted the Delhi Police to crack down on witnesses who turned hostile in court.

The police is targeting prime witness Shayan Munshi who claimed in court that he did not know Hindi and signed the murder FIR without understanding what it said. The prosecution's case fell apart because of Munshi changing his statement.

The police have slapped a notice on Munshi after getting his Class 12 board exam certificate, which shows he studied Hindi, and the VCD of Hindi film Jhankaar Beats in which he acted.

"Munshi opted for Hindi in Class 8 in school and he studied the language till Class 12. We have procured the certificate. Plus, he did his own dubbing in Jhankaar Beats three years ago. He has also acted in many Hindi TV advertisements. We have collected the evidence and Munshi will be confronted with the same," a top police official said on Thursday.

Sources said Munshi will have to come to Delhi from Mumbai next week in connection with the case.

In an appeal to Delhi High Court on March 13, police appealed that Munshi be charged under Section 340 of the CrPC for making "a false testimony" during the sessions court trial in 2001.

The actor was present at Tamarind Court, in New Delhi, when Jessica was shot dead on April 30, 1999.

"I signed the FIR written in Hindi but I do not understand the language. The person (Manu Sharma) standing before me is not the one who shot Jessica - he was much taller," Munshi had deposed.

Police will also question an East Delhi arms dealer and former Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory officer Roop Singh to establish who switched the cartridges.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to grant Bina Ramani, a key witness in the Jessica Lall murder case, permission to go abroad.

Ramani had moved the High Court a second time asking to be allowed to attend a wedding in Phuket, Thailand.

But Justice Vikramjit Sen refused Ramani relief and pulled her up for approaching the media with her plea.

Justice Sen has posted the matter for further hearing next month. Delhi Police have issued lookout notices against Ramani, her daughter Malini and husband George Mailhot.