'Sting' tapes of Jessica murder case reaching next week: Police

New Delhi, Sep 28 (UNI) Delhi Police today said it would get the 'Tehelka tapes', allegedly containing disclosures of bribes being paid to influence witnesses in the Jessica Lall murder case, next week from the news weekly, Denying that any tapes were procured yesterday, as reported in a section of the press, a senior official on condition of anonymity said, that infact an official of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the Jessica Lall murder case, did go to Tehelka's office yesterday but as no senior person was present at that time he came back empty-handed.

''The tapes would be given to us coming Monday.'' Another senior official also seconded the assertion saying the ''unedited tapes'' would be reach ''us'' next week.

Confirming this, Tehelka sources said the tapes woud be handed over to the SIT next week.

Yesterday, a Sub-Inspector of the SIT had gone to the 'Tehelka' office to seek tapes containing the startling disclosures of bribes having exchanged hands by three of the key witnesses in the case.

The SIT wants to not just verify the veracity of the 'tapes' but also 'study' the recordings of how coersion and bribe were used to influence the three key witnesses in the Jessica murder case.

'Tehelka' had carried out a three-month long 'sting' operation against three key witnesses -- Shyan Munshi, Karan Rajput and Shiv Das -- whose backing off from giving evidence led to the case falling in the court and ultimately the acquittal of main accused Manu Sharma.

The 'operation' revealed how money and muscle power was used to coerce the three witnesses into changing their stand in court despite having given statements, nailing accused Manu Sharma, to the police.

Model Jessica Lal was shot dead at 'Tamarind Court', a posh South Delhi restaurant at Qutub Colonnade, allegedly by Manu Sharma -- son of Venod Sharma and an influential Congress leader in Haryana -- for refusing to serve him a drink at a party on April 29, 1999.

UNI AN VD RN1942