Manu Sharma, convicted in the Jessica Lall murder case, returned to Tihar jail before expiry of his parole following mounting criticism that he violated parole norms, prompting Delhi government to ask police to investigate the allegations.

32-year-old Sharma, whose two months of parole was to expire on November 22, reported in the jail at around 11:45 am, a top jail official said.

Sharma, who was released from jail on September 22 on the ground of his mother's illness, was reportedly spotted in a nightclub in a hotel here on Saturday night. His mother was seen addressing a press conference in Chandigarh last week.

Actor Arjun Rampal, who co-owns a bar in Delhi's Ashoka hotel, confirmed that Manu was spotted there.

The reports triggered a major controversy with legal experts and opposition BJP alleging that he was granted parole under "political pressure" by the Delhi government, a charge strongly denied by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit who said it was done within the ambit of the law.

Following criticism, the Delhi government asked the city police to investigate whether Sharma violated the parole norms by moving out of Chandigarh and paying a visit to the capital.

Sharma should not have been present in Delhi as he was given parole under the condition that he will visit Chandigarh to meet his "ailing" mother, a top Delhi government official said.

"We have sought a detailed report from Delhi Police about whether Sharma visited the city," he said.

Rampal said Sharma apparently visited the bar as a guest of Sahil Dhingra, one of the members and owner of a leading apparel export company.

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