Kerala Woman, Who Killed Boyfriend With Poisoned Drink, Sentenced To Death

A 24-year-old woman has been sentenced to death in Kerala on Monday for killing her boyfriend, around two years after the cold-blooded incident. The woman, Greeshma, had poisoned her the-then 23-year-old boyfriend Sharon Raj, to get out of their romantic relationship.

A local court, which convicted Greeshma and her uncle for the murder last week, observed that there was no need to consider the accused's age over the gravity of the crime committed. The accused had 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 prosecution relied on circumstantial, digital, and scientific evidence to prove the crime, the court said.

Greeshma is the youngest woman to face capital punishment in Kerala.

Following today's verdict, the victim's lawyer said that he was "confident" the evidence would be accepted by the court.

"While I was arguing before the court, I was confident that evidence would be accepted by the court. I had argued that there is rarest of the rare case category in this and capital punishment should be awarded...this is an exemplary judgment," Special Public Prosecutor VS Vineeth Kumar, told the media outside the local court. 

In 2022, Greeshma poisoned her boyfriend with an ayurvedic tonic laced with paraquat, a herbicide. He died 11 days later from multiple organ failure. She had plotted the murder as Raj refused to end their relationship after her marriage was arranged with an army man from Tamil Nadu.

According to officials, Greeshma had previously tried to poison Raj by mixing paracetamol tablets in fruit juice. But had failed to do so after he refused to drink it due to its bitter taste.

Raj, a native of Parassala in the Thiruvananthapuram district, was a BSc Radiology student.

Greeshma was found guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including murder. Her uncle, Nirmalakumaran Nair, was found guilty of destruction of evidence. The accused's mother, who was also taken into custody, was acquitted for lack of evidence.