THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Neyyattinkara sessions court sentenced Monday 24-year-old Greeshma SS to death for murdering her boyfriend, Sharon Raj, in Oct 2022. Judge AM Basheer, who termed the crime “rarest of the rare”, also fined her Rs 2 lakh. Greeshma is the second, and youngest, woman in Kerala to be awarded capital punishment, and the 40th convict on death row in the state. She can pproach HC to challenge the sentence.
Greeshma was found guilty of luring Sharon, 23, to drink a pesticide-laced ayurvedic concoction that led to multiple organ failure and, eventually, death. Her maternal uncle, Nirmalakumaran Nair (60), was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy. Her mother, Sindhu, was acquitted last week for lack of evidence.
According to the verdict, Greeshma meticulously planned the murder after Sharon refused to end their relationship, which she claimed was causing problems in her life. The premeditation, combined with her attempt to mislead investigators, underscored the gravity of the crime. The court said the prosecution relied on circumstantial, digital and scientific evidence in the case. There were 48 pieces of circumstantial evidence against the accused.
The court sentenced Greeshma to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh under IPC Section 364 (kidnapping in order to murder), five years and a fine of Rs 50,000 under Sec 328 (causing harm using poison), and two years under Sec 203 (destruction of evidence or providing false information to protect an offender from legal punishment).
Special public prosecutor Vineeth Kumar said Greeshma wanted to end her relationship with Sharon after her family fixed her marriage to an Army man. She later conspired with her uncle and mother to kill Sharon.
