In Kerala, woman given death for killing boyfriend

A court in Kerala on Monday sentenced a woman to death for poisoning her boyfriend in 2022.

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The 24-year-old convict, Greeshma, 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.

In its verdict, the court observed that there was no need to consider the convict’s age and other circumstances over the gravity of the crime. The victim, Sharon Raj, was a native of Parassala in Thiruvananthapuram. According to the prosecution, Greeshma took Raj to her house on October 14, 2022, and poisoned him with an ayurvedic tonic laced with paraquat, a herbicide. Raj, 23, succumbed to multiple organ failure at a hospital 11 days later.

The prosecution told the court that Greeshma, then 22, plotted the murder after Raj refused to end their relationship even though her marriage had been arranged with an Army man.

Special Public Prosecutor VS Vineeth Kumar said, “The court noted the convict was a brilliant criminal who meticulously planned the brutal murder.” KY Johnson, DSP, said, “The accused searched on Google about slow poisoning and came to know about paraquat, a lethal herbicide. The presence of this poison on one’s body could not be identified in an examination carried out after 24 hours. But our scientific probe revealed it.”

The court also rejected Greeshma’s claim that she had no criminal background, stating that she had attempted to poison Raj in August 2022 by mixing paracetamol tablets in fruit juice. However, that attempt failed when he refused to drink it, citing its bitter taste.