Jerome, Maria convicted in Neeraj Grover murder case

A Mumbai court today convicted Kannada actor Maria Susairaj and her fiance and former Navy officer Emile Jerome in the murder case of TV executive Neeraj Grover. Grover, who was the creative head at Synergy Adlabs and the brain behind the popular show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain, was murdered and his body was allegedly chopped into several pieces before it was disposed off in the Manor jungles near Thane district on 7 May, 2008. The prosecution had alleged that Jerome stabbed Grover after finding him in Maria’s apartment in Malad. He suspected that the two were having an affair. Grover had apparently promised Maria a break, but had failed to do so. The duo was arrested on 21 May, 2008 after which Maria had led the police to Grover’s body.  Maria’s confession on May 30, 2008 corroborated the police’s version of the murder, after which she has been in jail for the past three years. [caption id=“attachment_34454” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Neeraj Grover was senior creative executive at Synergy Adlabs. Screen grab from ibnlive”] [/caption] Three years after his  murder, the Mumbai court today convicted Maria for destroying evidence under Indian Penal Code Section 201, but not for murder. Her boyfriend Jerome, however, has been held for culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 (Part 1). Culpable homicide carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, whereas the punishment for destruction of evidence is only three years. Sessions court judge MW Chandwani said the intention to kill could not be proven in the court. Public prosecutor RV Kini urged the court to keep the matter on hold till tomorrow to decide on the sentence to be awarded to the accused. Maria’s lawyer Sharif Shaikh said Maria was found guilty under section 201 IPC for which maximum punishment was three years imprisonment and that she had already undergone the term during the trial. Hence she should be given bail today. Grover’s parents expressed discontent with the conviction and said they would appeal against the verdict. His mother Neelam told reporters that Maria was the main culprit, who had called Jerome to her home leading to Grover’s killing and should not be absolved of murder. They have been demanding the death penalty for the duo. Agencies