Jessica Lal

New Delhi, Sept. 27: The special investigation team of Delhi police is planning to take a fresh look at the Jessica Lal murder case after key witness Shayan Munshi was caught contradicting his court testimony in a sting operation.

The spy camera used shows key figures in the case making admissions that money and muscle power were used to suppress evidence against main accused Manu Sharma.

The investigating officers, however, said they would turn the focus of questioning on model-actor Shayan Munshi, seen virtually admitting on camera that Sharma was responsible for Jessica’s death on April 29, 1999.

Munshi had told cops initially he saw Sharma shoot Jessica in the head at Bina Ramani’s Tamarind Bar in south Delhi, but turned hostile in court claiming the police testimony was written in Hindi, which he does not understand.

The alumnus of a Calcutta school has now been caught on the spycam of Tehelka — which sent its reporters posing as film producers — saying he was “well versed” with the language. “Sabko pata hai kisne kiya hai (everyone knows who did it),” he said in fluent Hindi.

Asked if he was referring to Sharma, Munshi says in English: “Everyone knows. They knew it then. Why then are the police beating about the bush for seven years?”

The cops are not amused. “This turnaround is preposterous. Serious action can be taken against Munshi. He will also be subjected to fresh questioning, and his grilling will be far more severe than earlier,” a senior officer who is part of the crack team told The Telegraph.

This evening, the cops asked Tehelka for the tapes, which are likely to be sent first for forensic examination. “If the tapes turn out to be genuine, Munshi in particular could be in serious trouble,” the officer said.