Sharon Raj murder: Prosecution seeks capital punishment for Kerala woman accused of poisoning boyfriend
Special Public Prosecutor V S Vineeth Kumar, after the arguments on sentencing concluded in court, told reporters that the conduct of the accused—Greeshma—could erode people's faith in the concept of love.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after a Kerala court convicted a woman and her uncle in a case related to the murder of her boyfriend, the prosecution on Saturday sought capital punishment for her, arguing that she lured the victim to his death by professing love for him.
Special Public Prosecutor V S Vineeth Kumar, after the arguments on sentencing concluded in court, told reporters that the conduct of the accused—Greeshma—could erode people's faith in the concept of love.
He added that while the prosecution sought capital punishment for the accused, the defence argued against it, claiming it was a 'justifiable murder' as the victim—Sharon Raj—allegedly had some intimate photos of the woman from when they were together.
The prosecutor said the defence further argued that the accused should be given a chance to reform herself.
The investigating officer in the case told reporters that the police found no evidence suggesting the victim had blackmailed the accused.
The prosecutor also said that Greeshma sought leniency in sentencing by citing her academic achievements, lack of prior criminal history, and the fact that she is her parents' only daughter.
"The court will pronounce the order on the sentence on January 20," he said.
On Friday, the Neyyattinkara Additional District Sessions Court convicted Greeshma and her uncle—Nirmalakumaran Nair—in the case while acquitting her mother.
Greeshma was found guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including murder (Section 302), while her uncle was convicted under Section 201 of the IPC for destroying evidence.
According to the prosecution, Raj was lured by Greeshma to her house in Ramavarmanchirai, located in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district, on October 14, 2022, and poisoned with an ayurvedic tonic laced with paraquat, a herbicide.
Raj, 23, succumbed to multiple organ failure at a hospital 11 days later, on October 25, 2022, after consuming the lethal concoction.
The prosecution told the court that Greeshma, then 22, plotted the murder after Raj refused to end their relationship, even though her marriage had been arranged with an army man from Nagercoil.
She had previously attempted to poison Raj by mixing paracetamol tablets into fruit juice. However, that attempt failed when he refused to drink it, citing its bitter taste, according to the prosecution