A Kerala court on Monday imposed death sentence on Greeshma, the primary accused in the murder of 23-year-old Thiruvananthapuram resident Sharon Raj, with whom she was in a relationship..Her uncle Nirmal Kumar was sentenced to imprisonment for three years.She was also sentenced to imprisonment of ten years for the offence of abduction and five years for trying to misguiding the investigation. The order was passed by Neyyattinkara Additional Sessions Court Judge AM Basheer who had convicted the duo on January 17.The trial court found Greeshma guilty under Sections 364 (kidnapping or abducting to murder), 328 (causing hurt by poison), 302 (punishment for murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of IPC. Her uncle Nirmalakumaran Nair was also found guilty under Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), while her mother was acquitted due to lack of evidence..In his ruling, Judge Basheer highlighted the highly secretive and premeditated nature of Greeshma's actions.The judge said that Greeshma chose a time when her family was away and administered the poison in a way that made it difficult to detect.She had planned the murder carefully, taking every opportunity to deceive Sharon and ensure that her actions would remain hidden."This being a case of murder by administration of poison Greeshma has done it in utmost secrecy. She chose the time when her parents and uncle were away from home. Sharon had told PW2 that Greeshma has asked him to go there for sex. She had convinced him last night by lengthy call about their meeting. She took him into confidence with ulterior motive. Her, preparations for the commission of the offence were secret and deceitful.", the Judge added..Sharon Raj, a final-year BSc Radiology student, met Greeshma, a literature student, during their time at a private college in Kanyakumari. The two reportedly maintained a romantic relationship for over a year before tensions arose.The prosecution alleged that Greeshma, wanting to end the relationship after her family arranged her marriage to another man, conspired with her mother and uncle to kill Sharon.On October 14, 2022, Sharon visited Greeshma at her residence where she allegedly gave him an Ayurvedic tonic laced with poison.According to the prosecution, Greeshma, her mother and uncle concealed the poison bottle to eliminate evidence. Within days, Sharon’s health deteriorated rapidly and on October 25, he succumbed to multiple organ failure..The case sparked widespread outrage, leading to an in-depth investigation by a Crime Branch special investigation team led by DySP Johnson.Greeshma was arrested on October 31, 2022, followed by her mother and uncle.The prosecution charged Greeshma with murder, abduction with intent to murder and destruction of evidence under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).Greeshma remained under custody for nearly a year until the Kerala High Court granted her bail on September 25, 2023. However, her bail was subject to strict conditions and she continued to face trial alongside her co-accused..During sentencing, Special Public Prosecutor VS Vineethkumar argued for the death penalty, terming the crime as 'extremely brutal, grotesque, diabolical, revolting'. The defence counsel Sasthamangalam S Ajith Kumar attempted to present the situation as one where Greeshma acted under extreme pressure, particularly from Sharon who had allegedly been blackmailing her with intimate photographs.He argued that Greeshma should not be given the death penalty, citing her young age, no prior criminal record and the responsibility she had towards her elderly parents.Despite these arguments, the judge decided to award the death sentence, classifying the case as a 'rarest of rare' scenario, where life imprisonment would be inadequate, as the brutality of the crime, combined with the victim's prolonged suffering, made it deserving of the harshest punishment."He underwent treatment for 11 days. On a perusal of number of medical records it is discernible that he could not even drink a drop of water for days. He underwent dialysis for three days. He was consulted by number of doctors. All his internal organs were failed due to ingestion of paraquat," the Court said. The Court further highlighted the pivotal role of digital and forensic evidence in unraveling the crime."The God in the cloud saved the data of crime coupled with the scientific principle of Dr Edmond Locard that no one can leave the place of crime without leaving the trace of evidence. Greeshma carried the evidence with her in her mobile phone and she stored everything in the cloud.".[Read Judgment]
