Thiruvananthapuram: On a day when a Kolkata court sentenced civic volunteer Sanjoy Roy to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a junior doctor in a state-run hospital, a woman was handed a death sentence by a court in south India.
The Additional District Sessions Court in Thiruvananthapuram pronounced the death sentence against Greeshma, the accused in the 2022 murder case of her 23-year-old boyfriend Sharon Raj.
The 24-year-old Greeshma was found guilty of murder on January 17, and the quantum of punishment was announced on January 20.
Greeshma’s uncle Nirmal Kumar was sentenced to three years’ rigorous imprisonment for his role as an accomplice and destroying evidence. The court, however, acquitted her mother, Sindhu.
While delivering his verdict the judge of Neyyattinkara Additional Sessions Court observed that this was a rarest of rare cases, hence her age cannot be taken into consideration. Quite the opposite of the Kolkata doctor’s rape-murder, in which he judge ruled it was not a rare case.
Greeshma’s lawyers had contended that she was a young woman with a promising academic record and deserved a chance to reform. The defence further argued that she had already showed signs of reforms, and hence should be given an opportunity to rebuild her life.
But it didn’t impress the court.
Sharon, who hailed from Parassala, near Thiruvananthapuram, died of internal organ failure on October 25, 2022.
Investigation revealed that Greeshma, who was in a relationship with Sharon, poisoned him as he refused to end their relationship. Greeshma wanted to get rid of Sharon as her parents had arranged her marriage to someone else.
On October 14, 2022, Greeshma invited Sharon to her home in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari district, and gave him poison-laced ayurvedic drink.
Sharon showed signs of poisoning by vomiting frequently. His parents reportedly called her to ask what she had served him so that he could get timely medical treatment.
The court ruled that Greeshma had cheated on a person who loved her which did not send out a good message to society.
