Bailable warrants for all nine accused in the 1999 murder of model Jessica Lall were issued Wednesday by the Delhi High Court after it admitted a police appeal against their acquittal by a lower court.
Judges Manmohan Sarin and Manju Goel set Rs.100,000 as bail for Manu Sharma, the Haryana minister's son who is the prime accused, and Rs.50,000 for each of the other accused.
The bench directed the accused not to leave the country without the court's permission. It said they could be granted bail on appearance before the trial and on furnishing personal bail bonds.
The appeal filed by Delhi Police against the acquittal of the accused will come up for hearing in the high court April 18. The appeal was filed following public protests and intense media scrutiny of the acquittal.
The lower court's decision Feb 21 was based on police's failure to produce any evidence linking the accused to the crime.