NEW DELHI, May 14: Shyam Sunder Sharma, uncle of Manu Sharma, prime suspect in the Jessica Lal murder case, has been arrested for allegedly destroying crucial evidence and organising the escape of Manu's accomplice Ravinder Kishen alias Titu to New York, police said here on Friday.Shyam Sunder, who was interrogated on Thursday in connection with the murder of Jessica at Bina Ramani's Tamarind Court bar in south Delhi on April 30, was arrested late Thursday night, Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) Amod Kanth said.
Son-in-law of former president Shankar Dayal Sharma, Shyam Sunder Sharma had allegedly confessed during interrogation that he "organised and partly financed" the escape of Titu, Manu's Friend and former employee of Sharma, to New York on May 4 by a Gulf Air flight, police sources said.
Titu, who works in a New York hotel, had earlier worked in Sharma's Samrat Hotel in Chandigarh, they said.
After Jessica's killing, Titu had allegedly taken the .22 bore pistol used in the crime toShyam Sunder in Manali in Himachal Pradesh where the plan for Titu's escape was hatched, the sources said.
Efforts were on to recover the weapon and teams have been sent to Chandigarh and Manali, Kanth said.
The Delhi police said yesterday that they were planning to ask help from the Interpol to trace Titu. Meanwhile, police continue to interrogate Harinder Chopra, a chartered accountant with the Picaddily group of hotels owned by Manu's father and former Union minister Vinod Sharma.
Chopra is suspected to have helped Manu hide at the south Delhi residence of his relative for two days after the incident.
Police also continued the manhunt for another accomplice of Manu, Vikas Yadav alias Vicky, son of Rajya Sabha Member D P Yadav, who has been absconding since the incident.
With Shyam Sunder Sharma's arrest, the number of people arrested in the case has gone up to five.
Those arrested earlier include prime suspect Manu Sharma and three of his accomplices, Amardeep Singh Gill alias Tony and AlokKhanna, both general managers with soft drink company Coca Cola and Amit Jhingan, a fabricator.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.