On February 6, 2025, the Kerala High Court issued a notice to the State of Kerala in response to an appeal filed by Greeshma, who has been sentenced to death for the murder of 23-year-old Sharon Raj, a resident of Thiruvananthapuram. The appeal challenges the trial court’s verdict, which found her guilty of the crime and imposed the capital punishment.
A Division Bench comprising Justices PB Suresh Kumar and Jobin Sebastian heard Greeshma’s appeal challenging her conviction and the death sentence imposed on her. During the proceedings, the Bench issued a notice to the State of Kerala, seeking its response to her plea contesting both the conviction and capital punishment. Additionally, the court directed the State to submit its reply to her separate application requesting a suspension of the death penalty.
Significantly, the Kerala High Court suspended the three-year jail sentence of Greeshma’s uncle, Nirmala Kumaran Nair, who was a co-accused in the case. Greeshma, who was in a relationship with the deceased, Sharon Raj, was found guilty of murdering him by administering poison, allegedly because she wanted to end their relationship.
On January 17, 2025, Neyyattinkara Additional Sessions Court Judge AM Basheer convicted Greeshma and sentenced her to death for her role in the crime. Meanwhile, her uncle, Nirmala Kumaran Nair, was sentenced to three years of imprisonment for his involvement in the incident.
The trial court found Greeshma guilty under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 364 (kidnapping or abducting with intent to murder), Section 328 (causing hurt by means of poison), Section 302 (punishment for murder), and Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence).
Greeshma’s uncle, Nirmala Kumaran Nair, was found guilty under Section 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for causing the disappearance of evidence. However, her mother was acquitted by the trial court due to a lack of sufficient evidence against her.
Following their convictions, both Greeshma and her uncle have now approached the Kerala High Court, challenging the trial court’s verdict and the sentences imposed on them.
In his comprehensive 588-page judgment, Judge AM Basheer placed significant emphasis on the element of premeditation in Greeshma’s actions. He noted that she had previously made an unsuccessful attempt to poison Sharon Raj before ultimately administering a lethal substance that she allegedly knew would result in an agonizing and painful death. Taking these factors into account, the judge concluded that Greeshma could not be reformed through imprisonment alone, thereby justifying the imposition of the death penalty.
“The convict had ‘devilish thought’ in her mind because only cunning and cruel criminal can repeat the offence. Such a person cannot be reformed. There is no guarantee that she will not mix poison again in any other relationship, if she got mixed with society,†the judge said while sentencing Greeshma to death.
Sharon Raj, a final-year BSc Radiology student, first met Greeshma, who was pursuing a degree in literature, while they were both studying at a private college in Kanyakumari. Over time, the two developed a romantic relationship that lasted for more than a year before tensions reportedly arose between them.
According to the prosecution, Greeshma sought to end the relationship after her family arranged her marriage to another man. Allegedly, in pursuit of this goal, she conspired with her mother and uncle to murder Sharon Raj.
On October 14, 2022, Sharon visited Greeshma at her residence, where she is accused of offering him an Ayurvedic tonic that had been laced with poison. The prosecution further asserted that following the incident, Greeshma, along with her mother and uncle, took steps to dispose of the poison bottle in an attempt to destroy evidence. In the days that followed, Sharon’s health deteriorated rapidly, and despite medical intervention, he ultimately succumbed to multiple organ failure on October 25, 2022.
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