Mumbai:
The Bombay High Court is likely to pronounce its order on the bail application filed by former Naval officer Emile Jerome Mathew in connection with the murder of TV executive Neeraj Grover.
However, observing that there was circumstantial evidence against the naval officer, the Bombay High Court said on Wednesday that it was not inclined to grant him bail.
"We are not inclined to grant bail. There is circumstantial evidence. But we can expedite the hearing of the appeal filed by Jerome against the conviction," a division bench of Justices V M Kanade and M L Tahalayani said while hearing the bail plea of Jerome.
Jerome, who was sentenced to ten years imprisonment by a sessions court for culpable homicide, has sought to be released on bail pending hearing of his appeal against conviction.
The state government's appeal challenging the trial court order convicting him of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and his fiancee Maria Susairaj, a small-time Kannada actress, of destruction of evidence, are also pending with the court. The prosecution wants them both convicted of murder.
The trial court had, on July 1, acquitted the duo of the charge of murder but convicted the naval officer of culpable homicide and Susairaj on charges of destruction of evidence and sentenced her to three years in jail. Since she had spent more time in jail as an undertrial, she was freed a few days after the verdict.
According to the police, Neeraj was stabbed to death by Jerome and Susairaj after the victim got into a scuffle with the naval officer on May 7, 2008. The alleged murder took place at the residence of Susairaj. The two accused had allegedly cut the body into several pieces before disposing it of at Manor jungles on city outskirts.