New Delhi: The rise of Indri-Trini, an Indian single malt whisky owned by Siddharth Vashisht, better known as Manu Sharma, sparked a debate online after the brand won top honours at the Las Vegas Global Spirit Awards 2025.
Many users on X have criticised the international recognition of a brand promoted by a man convicted of one of India’s most infamous murder cases.
Manu Sharma (43), serving life sentence for the murder of model and bartender Jessica Lall working in a restaurant in 1999, waked out of jail free in June 2020. He was released along with 18 other prisoners from Delhi's Tihar Jail then.
Manu Sharma was the son of a former politician and minister Vinod Sharma and was convicted in 2006 for shooting model Jessica Lal after she refused to serve him an alcoholic drink on April 30, 1999, at a party in Tamarind Court restaurant in Delhi owned by socialite Bina Ramani. The Jessica Lal murder case shocked the nation, sparked public outrage, and proved how media and common people's protest can bring rich and politically-backed brats to justice.
Indri’s Win at Las Vegas Global Spirit Awards
At the 2025 Las Vegas Global Spirit Awards, Indian single malts dominated the competition, taking four of the five finalist spots. Piccadily Distilleries’ Indri Diwali Collector’s Edition 2025 Marsala Cask Finish was declared Best World Whisky with a near-perfect score of 99.1, according to a report by Forbes.
Produced from six-row Indian barley and matured in Marsala wine casks, the whisky was praised for aromas of candied orange, fig jam, vanilla and seasoned oak.
Indri Whisky is owned by Piccadily Distilleries, which is part of the larger Piccadily Agro Industries (PAIL) group, headed by Siddharth (formerly Manu Sharma). The distillery is located in Indri, Haryana, and the brand was launched in 2021, quickly gaining recognition for its Indian single malt whisky.
Netizens Question Recognition of Brand Linked to Convicted Killer
While the win was celebrated in whisky circles, social media reaction was divided. Several users expressed disbelief that the whisky’s success overshadowed its founder’s criminal past. One user wrote, “Manu Sharma, the man who shot dead model Jessica Lal for refusing him a drink, is the actual person behind Indri. What an irony!”
Another post read, “Jessica Lal’s killer owns Indri – the fastest growing whiskey brand in the world. Shame on you!!”
Others argued he had already served his sentence. “He did time. He is not a serial killer. He has to be given a chance of restarting life,” one netizen commented. Another reflected on Sabrina Lal’s forgiving stance, writing, “If she can forgive, then I think we can all learn something."
Have a look at these reactions here:
The Jessica Lall Murder Case
The Jessica Lall murder case shocked the nation in 1999 when model Jessica Lal was shot dead at a Delhi party after refusing to serve Sharma alcohol past closing hours.
Initially acquitted in 2006 despite multiple witnesses, Sharma walked free until public outrage and media campaigns led to a retrial. The Delhi High Court convicted him later that year, sentencing him to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court upheld the decision in 2010. Sharma was released in 2020 after serving nearly 17 years in prison.
Director Raj Kumar Gupta on the Whisky Row
In an interview with Bollywood Hungama earlier this year, filmmaker Raj Kumar Gupta, who directed No One Killed Jessica (2011), was asked about Sharma’s whisky brand. He said, “Somebody forwarded the news to me… I was reminded of Sabrina Lall’s statement. This was a time when Manu Sharma was about to get bail. Somebody had asked Sabrina about her reaction and whether she’d like to oppose it. She replied that he paid for what he did and that he had completed his term. She had lost her own sister and yet, she had this forgiving nature. I felt it had a deeper meaning.”
Gupta added, “Forgiving is very subjective. It’s debatable but then it can’t be more personal to anyone but her since she lost her family member. And this is something that all of us should think about.”
Sabrina Lall’s Reaction
In an interview with Humans of Bombay in 2021, Jessica’s sister Sabrina Lall spoke about letting go of her anger. “14 years after, when he walked out of prison, there was no hate in my heart. I’m glad he was starting afresh just like I had. It was like a circle coming full, and I could see my Shona smiling down upon me as if to say, ‘You’ve fought a good fight, just let go now.’”
Sabrina Lall passed away later that year after a prolonged illness.
