Notorious killer linked to major Scotch whisky development

Killer Manu Sharma as he leaves prison. Image: Supplied

A notorious Indian murderer who shot dead a celebrity barmaid for refusing to serve him a drink is seeking to make a fortune as part of a major new Scotch whisky development, The Sunday Post can exclusively reveal.

Manu Sharma, the super-rich son of a powerful politician, was handed a life sentence for killing model Jessica Lal at a crowded socialite party.

It was a murder case that shocked India in 1999, with Sharma only being brought to justice more than seven years later following a huge manhunt and unprecedented social media activism.

Jessica Lal who was murdered by Manu Sharma. -. Supplied.

Today we can reveal the party-loving killer is seeking to make big moves in Scotland’s lucrative whisky industry as part of a new distillery in Argyll and Bute.

HMRC approved a licence to Portavadie Distillers and Blenders to construct a new state-of-the art facility on the site of the “ghost village” of Polphail, which was built for oil workers but never occupied.

Sharma’s identity revealed

An investigation by The Sunday Post has uncovered the company was handed substantial investment by Piccadily Agro Industries Limited (PAIL) – the company founded by Sharma’s family and where he remains part of the “promoter” group that owns the majority of the business.

As part of the group, he is a major shareholder, alongside several companies that list Sharma family members as directors.

The investment in Portavadie is reported to be worth around £15 million.

Sharma, who was born Siddharth Vashisht but was better known by the name Manu Sharma at the time of the murder, now goes by Siddharth Sharma.

The Piccadily brand set up by Sharma’s family is best known for sugar manufacturing and being behind popular Indian whiskies, including the multi-award winning Indri.

The major conglomerate also includes a chain of hotels, along with print, digital and television media brands.

Under his new name, Sharma has gone on to have huge success and is now listed as the founder of Piccadily Distilleries, the largest independent manufacturer and seller of malt spirits in India, under the Piccadily umbrella.

We were able to verify his identity using court documents, archived files linked to his businesses and a not-for-profit organisation set up in his birth name, along with leading sources in the whisky trade in Scotland and India.

Our investigation found Portavadie Distillers and Blenders is being run in-part by director Dharmendra Kumar Batra – who is also a director of PAIL and one of the most senior figures on its board.

Johnston Carmichael – the Scottish accounting firm listed as the only correspondence address for Portavadie Distillers and Blenders with HMRC – refused to comment when approached by The Sunday Post.

Dream of Scottish distillery

Sharma has long spoken of his desire to open a distillery in Scotland but HMRC rules around fit and proper owners mean it would be difficult for a company to be granted a licence while a person with his criminal record is involved as a key figure.

Jessica Lal was one of several models working in an unlicensed bar when Sharma walked in with three friends demanding alcohol on April 30, 1999.

When Lal refused because the bar had run out, Sharma fired a pistol at the ceiling and then again into her head, killing her. He was initially acquitted of the crime but was retried following a huge public outcry and numerous protest campaigns.

An investigation by TV channel STAR news accused his father, prominent politician Venod Sharma, of bribing witnesses. He later resigned from the Indian National Congress.

Manu Sharma was granted a short-term parole in 2009 but Indian media reported he was spotted visiting nightclubs and got involved in a brawl with the son of police commissioner of Delhi.

He was released from prison in June 2020 for “good behaviour”.

Artists impression of the whisky distillery at Portavadie. Image: Supplied

The Portavadie distillery will feature a “world-class” visitor centre and be open for tours for whisky enthusiasts.

In promotional materials, Sharma is quoted as saying the development “marks our long-term goal of becoming an international alco-bev company and reinforces our vision of reshaping the perception of Indian alco-bev brands on the world stage”.

He says it “positions Piccadily as a prominent player among Indian distillers on the global stage” and in one interview, describes how the project is being opened in his grandfather’s memory to fulfil his dream of having a distillery in Scotland.

But despite this, PAIL insists that upon completion, the distillery will be owned and operated solely by Portavadie Distillers and Blenders Ltd.

Concerns of local community

A number of local whisky producers we approached spoke of their horror and fear over Sharma’s involvement.

One owner, who asked not to be named because of the seriousness of Sharma’s past offences, called for greater due diligence in the industry to confirm the sources of funding and the nature of the businesses and individuals providing it.

Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber MP Brendan O’Hara urged officials to investigate the Portavadie development.

He said: “The allegations raised here are very concerning and I encourage HMRC and any other relevant organisation to carefully look into this matter.”

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Liam Kerr also called on authorities to investigate.

Tory MSP Liam Kerr (Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament)

He said: “Scotch whisky is an internationally known hallmark of quality produce. It has to be produced under the strictest of standards, so consumers know the provenance of what they’re getting.

“It is right for HMRC to set a high bar for anyone to get involved in a multi-billion-pound enterprise.

“The evidence uncovered by The Sunday Post suggests there is something the authorities need to look very carefully at.”

Abhishek Haryson, assistant general manager of marketing at PAIL, said the company is not at liberty to comment on any individual investor or shareholder but that promoters and directors of PAIL have a clean business record with no history of involvement in any commercial fraud or unethical business practices.

He added: “Consequently, none of our promoters or director are subject to any regulatory bars or embargoes that would restrict their ability to engage in legitimate business activities.”

HMRC declined to comment.