NEW DELHI, 21 March 2006 — Socialite Bina Ramani, prime witness in Jessica Lal murder case, is having tough time in cooperating with the Delhi Police. Bina’s complaint is that she and her family are being treated like the accused, which was partly proved by Delhi Police having issued a lookout circular against them.

A week after the lookout notices were issued against them, the duo yesterday said they would cooperate in the investigations even as the police assured them protection.

“The meeting with the police commissioner was sought by us and we have offered our full cooperation in the investigations,” Bina told reporters after meeting K.K. Paul.

“The police commissioner has offered us protection but we have decided not to take it now. We will ask for police protection when we want to,” she said. “We are looking forward to the investigations and have offered full cooperation.” Bina claimed that there was a deliberate attempt to confuse the case and blamed the media for spreading misinformation.

“It is clear that someone is deliberately trying to create confusion. We have never been questioned by the Delhi Police in the case and we have not received any notice as yet,” she said.

Jessica was shot dead in April 1999 in Tamarind Court, a posh south Delhi bar run by Bina.

Objecting to the lookout notices, Bina said she, her husband and her daughter were only eyewitnesses in the case and not criminals.

“We three are the only eyewitnesses in the case and are available anytime to help the police,” said Bina. She hoped that many more witnesses would come forward in the case.

The Delhi Police had had issued lookout notices on March 14 against all the eyewitnesses in the case — Bina, her husband George Mailhot and Malini. The notices were sent to all international airports and seaports to ensure that the witnesses did not leave India without police permission.

“India is our home and we have nothing to hide in this case. We have asked the police commissioner for a meeting,” Bina told media persons before the meeting.

According to police, Manu Sharma, son of Haryana minister Vinod Sharma, allegedly shot and killed Jessica after she refused to serve him a drink in the bar where she was filling in as a bartender. The bar that was functioning without a license has since shut down.

On Feb. 21, a Delhi sessions court had acquitted all nine accused including Sharma as well as the witnesses in the case, all of whom had turned hostile. — Additional input from IANS.