Political parties joined the chorus for a retrial in model Jessica Lall murder case suggesting witnesses to the incident were bought over by money power, attacking Delhi police\'s "failure" to provide correct evidence and seeking law to protect to witnesses.

"Who killed Jessica Lall, who fired the bullet... The verdict has raised questions on effective functioning of our judicial system," said CPI general secretary A B Bardhan, after its two-day national executive meeting.]

He said the issue would certainly be raised in Parliaments it shows that "those who have the money and connections can get away with even murder."

The national executive also expressed deep concern at the "total failure of the Delhi police" to present properly the evidence in the case and demanded setting up of an effective mechanism of investigation to bring the culprit to books.

"We are alarmed that in the capital of the country the perpetrators of the ghastly murder, who carried out the crime in the presence of so many had been let scot free by the court due to lack of evidence," the resolution said. Former Prime Minister V P Singh said witnesses in Jessica Lall murder case could have been "bought over" to change their statements in court.

"They were overcome by money power (<I>paisa un par haavi ho gaya</I>)," he told reporters, when asked to comment on witnesses turning hostile in the case. BJP said the centre should have a re-look at the witness protection programme it had suggested in the proposal to amend the criminal procedure code during the last days of NDA government at the centre.

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