Mumbai, Jun 30: Three years after TV executive Neeraj Grover was brutally murdered, a local court today convicted Kannada actress Maria Susairaj on the lighter charge of destroying evidence and her boyfriend Emile Jerome, a former navy officer, of culpable homicide in the sensational case.
Jerome, a former Navy Lieutenant, was found guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under section 304(1) of the IPC and section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence). He can face a jail term upto 10 years.
Pronouncing the verdict, Sessions court judge M W Chandwani convicted Susairaj of the lesser charge of destruction of evidence. She can be sentenced for three years.
The court held that Jerome had acted impulsively on seeing Grover at Susairaj's residence and that it was not a pre-meditated killing.
In May 2008, Jerome and Susairaj were arrested for the brutal murder of Grover, a TV producer. Grover was the brain behind quiz show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?, hosted by Shah Rukh Khan.
The prosecution had contended that Jerome had gone to Maria's residence in suburban Malad on May 7, 2008 where he got into a fight with Grover (26) during which the naval officer was stabbed to death.
Susairaj and Jerome later chopped Grover's body into pieces and disposed it of in Manor forest in neighbouring Thane.
Grover's father, Amarnath Grover, who fought for justice for three years, termed the verdict as “very disappointing”. Susairaj had called younger Grover to her residence and conspired in murdering him, the father said.
Susairaj's counsel said she had already completed three years in jail and hence would be freed tomorrow. PTI
