Sharma is one of several high-profile criminals brought to trial in India through media activism, with his conviction among those viewed as demonstrating the impact of the general public in correcting imbalances in the Indian legal process.
The trial judge commented after the outcome that: The court has acquitted them because the Delhi police failed to sustain the grounds on which they had built up their case.
On 18 December 2006, the High Court ruled Sharma guilty of murdering Jessica Lal and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
[15] Sharma was incarcerated in the Tihar Jail along with co-accused Vikas Yadav and Amardeep Singh Gill, who had been sentenced for destroying evidence.
[16] Along with another high-profile convict, Santosh Kumar Singh, Sharma was involved in helping other prisoners draft legal appeals.
[21] In November 2009, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit came under criticism for granting parole to Sharma after media reports of him visiting night clubs in Delhi emerged.
According to The Times of India, the Trust is intended to assist causes such as" child education, cancer awareness, [and] rehabilitation of prisoners etc."
[31] Considering his good conduct, Sharma was moved to an "open jail" in November 2017 where he was allowed to leave prison everyday and return in evening.
[33] On 2 June 2020, Delhi Lieutenant Governor allowed the release of Sharma after a recommendation by the Sentence Review Board (SRB).
[35] After his release Manu Sharma expressed regret in an interview to The Times of India for killing Jessica Lal.