Who’s the 24-year-old Kerala girl sentenced to loss of life for poisoning her boyfriend?

The Sharon Raj homicide case, one of the surprising and high-profile trials in Kerala’s latest historical past, concluded with a chilling verdict because the Extra Classes Courtroom sentenced Greeshma SS to loss of life.

The 24-year-old girl was convicted of poisoning her 23-year-old boyfriend, Sharon Raj, in a cold-blooded act pushed by her need to finish their romantic relationship.

The court docket dominated final week that the severity of her crime far outweighed any leniency her younger age may need warranted. This makes Greeshma the youngest girl in Kerala’s historical past to obtain capital punishment.

However who’s Greeshma, and what drove her to commit such a heinous act? Right here’s what we all know of the chilling case.

What occurred?

The incident dates again to 14 October 2022, when Sharon visited his girlfriend, Greeshma, at her residence.

As per the prosecution, Greeshma, a resident of Kanyakumari, and Sharon, from Parassala in Thiruvananthapuram, had been shut since 2021. On the time, she was pursuing her postgraduate diploma in English, whereas Sharon was within the last yr of his BSc Radiology course.

Their friendship blossomed right into a relationship that lasted over a yr earlier than tensions started to come up.

In March 2022, Greeshma’s household organized her marriage to a navy officer in Tamil Nadu, and she or he agreed to the match whereas nonetheless persevering with her relationship with Sharon.

Greeshma has been sentenced to loss of life by the Neyyatinkara Extra Classes Courtroom for killing Sharon Raj. The court docket acknowledges that Sharon Raj’s real love for Greeshma is obvious in his need to guard her from authorized penalties. #Greeshma #SharonRaj pic.twitter.com/OFJ5GMtH9H

— Harish M (@chnmharish) January 20, 2025

As the marriage date drew nearer, Greeshma grew more and more anxious that Sharon may reveal their relationship to her fiancé. Fearing the results, she conspired together with her uncle, Nirmalakumaran Nair, to execute a plan to kill Sharon.

A number of makes an attempt to kill Sharon

Based on the Indian Categorical, Greeshma allegedly performed intensive on-line analysis on the consequences of painkillers and made a number of makes an attempt to poison Sharon. Investigators revealed that she laced his water and juice with tablets, however these makes an attempt failed to provide the specified impact.

Decided to succeed, she even challenged Sharon to a juice-drinking contest, but he emerged unhurt. Pissed off by the failed makes an attempt, Greeshma determined to make use of stronger substances.

On 14 October 2022, a few month earlier than her deliberate marriage ceremony, Greeshma invited Sharon to her home and served him a medicinal ayurvedic drink. Unknown to him, she had blended poisonous herbicide into the concoction.

Since ayurvedic drinks are naturally bitter, Sharon didn’t discover something uncommon. Nonetheless, shortly after leaving Greeshma’s home, he started feeling unwell and skilled extreme vomiting that night time. He was hospitalised, however his situation worsened over the next days.

Eleven days later, Sharon succumbed to a number of organ failure whereas present process therapy on the Medical Faculty Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. Earlier than his loss of life, Sharon confided in a buddy that Greeshma had “cheated” on him and suspected she had poisoned him.

Following his loss of life, Sharon’s household lodged a police criticism, resulting in Greeshma’s arrest on October 31. Her mom and uncle had been additionally taken into custody for allegedly abetting the crime and destroying proof.

#WATCH | Kerala | Sharon Raj homicide case: Accused Greeshma and deceased Sharon Raj’s dad and mom seem earlier than the Extra District Classes Courtroom in Thiruvananthapuram. pic.twitter.com/830anOjDl5

— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2025

The case was filed underneath a number of sections of the IPC, together with Part 364 (kidnapping or abducting with intent to homicide), Part 328 (inflicting damage by way of poison), Part 302 (homicide), Part 201 (inflicting the disappearance of proof and offering false data), Part 203 (giving false data), and Part 34 (felony acts finished in furtherance of a standard intention).

She was granted bail almost a yr later, in September 2023.

The court docket case

The Neyyattinkara Extra Classes Courtroom discovered Greeshma responsible of homicide, ruling that the severity of her crime outweighed any consideration of her age.

Throughout the trial, the defence had sought leniency and argued that Greeshma, a younger girl with a promising tutorial file, deserved a possibility to reform. They claimed she had already proven indicators of change and needs to be given an opportunity to rebuild her life.

#WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala | Accused Greeshma awarded capital punishment in Sharon Raj homicide case | Particular Public Prosecutor VS Vineeth Kumar, who represented the sufferer’s household says, ” …Whereas I used to be arguing earlier than court docket, I used to be assured that proof can be… pic.twitter.com/5EAtCcSGjQ

— ANI (@ANI) January 20, 2025

The court docket famous that Greeshma had betrayed Sharon’s belief by emotionally manipulating him.

“The act of inviting Sharon over underneath the pretext of sexual intimacy and subsequently committing the crime can’t be ignored. It’s the State’s duty to make sure punishment for felony acts,” the court docket acknowledged.

“Proof corresponding to Sharon recording a video of the suspicious juice, regardless of Greeshma asking him to not file, signifies that he suspected one thing was mistaken. Sharon fought for his life for 11 days with out even consuming a drop of water,” ANI quoted the court docket saying.

The court docket then dismissed Greeshma’s claims of psychological stress and bodily abuse by Sharon, citing a scarcity of proof. “She has no proof to assist her allegations. Quite the opposite, Sharon had by no means accused her in any messages or communications. Whereas Sharon remained loyal to her, Greeshma continued to keep up contact together with her fiancé,” the court docket noticed.

It additional famous that the crime was carried out with out provocation and criticised Greeshma’s failed makes an attempt to cowl up her actions.

The court docket deemed the case a “rarest of uncommon” occasion and sentenced her to loss of life, asserting that her younger age couldn’t be thought of a mitigating issue. Her uncle, Nirmal Kumar, was given a sentence of three years of rigorous imprisonment for appearing as an confederate, and for destroying proof. Her mom, nonetheless, was acquitted by the court docket because of lack of proof.

The trial, which started on 15 October 2024, concerned the examination of over 95 witnesses earlier than the ultimate verdict was delivered.

With enter from businesses