Indian woman’s murder conviction quashed, to face retrial

Melbourne, May 24

An Indian national who was found guilty of the murder of her former lover’s fiancee in 2015 has had her conviction quashed by an Australian court and will face a retrial.

The New South Wales court of Criminal Appeal upheld Manisha Patel’s appeal against the conviction and ordered a retrial, Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The then 32-year-old Patel was found guilty by a jury in July 2015 for allegedly killing 28-year-old Purvi Joshi in 2013 in Sydney.

She was sentenced to a maximum term of 24 years in jail, with a non-parole period of 18 years.

Patel appeared in court via video-link from Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre.

Joshi had arrived in Australia from India and was planning to marry Niraj Dave, a fellow Indian national who had previously been in a relationship with Patel. PTI