Manu Sharma's parole extended by 18 days

New Delhi: Jessica Lall’s murderer Manu Sharma has been granted another parole by the Delhi high court to continue his studies in law. The court had given Manu relief for pursuing a course in humanitarian studies earlier also. The parole has been granted for 18 days.

Justice A.K. Pathak allowed Sharma to remain on parole till January 31 after he urged the court that he has to attend his personal contact programme in connection with the LLB course he is pursuing and re-establish social ties.

“Keeping in view that petitioner (Sharma) has been granted parole by this court earlier also, the court is inclined to give him the relief till January 31,” the court said.

Sharma had moved the high court through his counsel, Amit Sahni, seeking direction to the Delhi government to decide his plea for extension of parole for one month.

The Delhi government, on December 27 last year, had granted two weeks’ parole to Sharma to enable him to appear for his LLB second semester exams from December 31, 2016 onwards. His parole is ending on January 12.

The convict had told the court that he be granted parole for a month as he has to appear before the registrar in Chandigarh on January 19 for registration of his marriage besides attending his personal contact programme for the LLB course and re-establish social ties.

The convict, who has been given parole six times since September 2009, has completed a post-graduate diploma in Human Rights and is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree in law course from Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu. Sharma is the son of former Union minister Venod Sharma.