Sabrina Lall, the younger sister of murdered Delhi model Jessica Lall, died today following a prolonged illness. She was 53.
“She was not keeping well and had been in and out of the hospital. Yesterday, her condition deteriorated at home and we took her to hospital. Today, in the evening, she passed away,” her brother Ranjith Lall told the media.
Ms Lall fought an unrelenting battle against all odds to bring her sister’s killer to justice. Jessica Lall was shot dead in April 1999 at an elite Delhi bar where she worked as a barmaid. Manu Sharma, also known as Siddharth Vashisht, the son of an influential MP, was identified by many as the murderer.
After a long process, during which Sabrina Lall was at the forefront of the efforts to nail the accused, Sharma was convicted and sentenced to prison.
The murder and the following investigation had sparked a furore across the country.
In an interview with popular social media handle Humans of Bombay, Sabrina Lall explained that the pressure from Sharma’s family and hostile witnesses almost jeopardised the case.
“Once, Mr Manu Sharma’s parents came home with a bouquet. On one hand, they were threatening witnesses, on the other, they were playing the sympathy card,” she said.