Alert sounded for Manu Sharma

NEW DELHI, May 2: Former Union Minister Vinod Sharma is likely to arrive in Delhi tomorrow to face questions from the Delhi Police regard...

NEW DELHI, May 2: Former Union Minister Vinod Sharma is likely to arrive in Delhi tomorrow to face questions from the Delhi Police regarding his son Siddharth Vashisht8217;s alleged involvement in the murder of model Jessica Lal at socialite Bina Ramani8217;s restaurant on Thursday night.

Joint Commissioner of Police southern range Amod Kanth told The Indian Express: 8220;We have come to know that Vinod Sharma was in Delhi for the past two days. Yet, he did not respond to our summons. Today, only after he returned to Chandigarh, we established contact with him.8221;

Added Additional DCP south Vivek Gogia: 8220;Our teams in Chandigarh today spoke to Vinod Sharma and other members of his family in connection with the case. They say they have no idea about Siddharth8217;s whereabouts, his gun or his car. But they are prepared to come to Delhi tomorrow to assist us in the case.8221;

Investigators suspect that Siddharth is still hiding somewhere in or around Delhi, sheltered 8220;by someone who knows him and who he expects willrender legal assistance in case he is caught8221;.

The Delhi Police have, nevertheless, sounded an alert for Siddharth at IGI Airport, both at the domestic and international terminals. 8220;In fact, we had done this on Friday soon after we had clues that Siddharth was the person who shot dead Jessica with a .22 bore pistol on being refused a drink,8221; said Gogia. 8220;Now that we have contacted his family, we hope to get details of his passport and driving license as well.8221;

For the past three days, Delhi Police teams have been conducting raids at several places in Delhi, Chandigarh, Karnal and Kurkshetra, where the Sharma family has business concerns and several relatives, to trace Siddharth and his red-turbaned companion at the Thursday night party in Qutab Colonnade. But so far they have had no luck in the 35 places that they raided.

Investigators have also questioned around 20 people who were at the restaurant, besides Bina Ramani.

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In Delhi today, some policemen went to Vinod Sharma8217;s office in Okhla. Butthey found it locked and barred.

8220;It doesn8217;t mean much though, as today is a Sunday,8221; said Sub-Inspector Sunil Kumar who took the team to Okhla. 8220;We are trying to eliminate all possibilities.8221;

Kumar also led a police team to Vinod Sharma8217;s Samhalkha farmhouse on the Delhi-Gurgaon highway, near Vasant Kunj, yesterday.