Kerala Court Sentences Greeshma to Death Penalty in Sharon Raj Murder Case
Pranav B Prem
Today, a court in Kerala's Trivandrum district, has handed down the death sentence to Greeshma, the primary accused in the murder of 23-year-old Thiruvananthapuram resident Sharon Raj, with whom she was in a relationship. The Neyyattinkara Additional Sessions Court, presided over by Judge AM Basheer, also imposed a ten-year sentence on Greeshma for the offence of abduction under Section 364 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and a five-year sentence for attempting to mislead the investigation.
Her uncle, Nirmal Kumar, was sentenced to three years of imprisonment, having been convicted under Section 201 of the IPC for causing the disappearance of evidence. However, her mother was acquitted due to insufficient evidence against her.The trial court found Greeshma guilty under several provisions of the IPC, including Sections 364 (kidnapping or abducting with intent to murder), 328 (causing hurt by poison), 302 (punishment for murder), and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence).
The case pertains to the murder of Sharon Raj, a final-year BSc Radiology student, who was in a romantic relationship with Greeshma, a literature student. According to the prosecution, tensions arose in their relationship when Greeshma’s family arranged her marriage to another individual. Allegedly, she conspired with her mother and uncle to eliminate Sharon. On October 14, 2022, Sharon visited Greeshma’s residence in Kanyakumari, where she purportedly administered an Ayurvedic tonic laced with poison. As per the prosecution, the accused trio concealed the poison bottle to destroy evidence. Sharon’s health deteriorated significantly following this incident, and he succumbed to multiple organ failure on October 25, 2022.
The crime sparked public outrage, prompting an intensive investigation led by the Crime Branch under DySP Johnson. Greeshma was apprehended on October 31, 2022, followed by the arrests of her mother and uncle.
The prosecution brought charges against Greeshma for offences under the IPC, including murder, abduction with intent to murder, and destruction of evidence. Although Greeshma was granted bail by the Kerala High Court on September 25, 2023, after nearly a year in custody, her release was subject to stringent conditions. She continued to face trial alongside her co-accused, resulting in the recent verdict.
[Click here to View/Download judgment]
