Greeshma third woman in Kerala to get death penalty for murder; also the youngest

Thiruvananthapuram: Greeshma, 24, is the youngest woman in Kerala to be sentenced to death. She is the second woman in the state to be sent to the gallows. The first woman to receive a death sentence in Kerala was in the high-profile Vidhukumaran Thampy murder case in Kollam, sentenced in March 2006. The second woman to be sentenced to death was Rafeeka Beevi following her conviction in the 2024 Vizhinjam Santhakumari murder case. The verdicts of Greeshma and Rafeeka were delivered by Neyyattinkara Additional District Judge A M Basheer.

Binitha was initially sentenced to death in 2006 at the age of 35. However, the Kollam District Sessions Court’s death sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment by a higher court. Binitha is currently serving her sentence at Attakkulangara Jail. In the case, Binitha and her lover Raju, a nurse at the military camp, conspired to murder Vidhukumaran Thampi, who owned a shop near the Thiruvananthapuram military camp. They later transported his body in a car and disposed of it in a gorge in Ooty.

Rafeeka was convicted for the murder of Santhakumari, an elderly woman, with the intent to steal her gold ornaments. Rafeeka's co-accused, Al Ameen and her son Shafiq, also received death sentences. Currently, 39 people are awaiting the death penalty in Kerala, with Greeshma becoming the 40th.

Court’s ruling in Sharon case

The Neyyattinkara Sessions Court sentenced Greeshma to death, rejecting the argument of her young age and lack of a criminal background. The court stated that Sharon’s murder was unprovoked and required the maximum punishment. Greeshma’s uncle, Nirmalakumaran Nair, was sentenced to three years in prison for aiding in the crime. However, Greeshma's mother, Sindhu, was acquitted earlier itself due to a lack of evidence.

The 586-page verdict also praised the investigation team for successfully piecing together circumstantial evidence in a case with no eyewitnesses. The court acknowledged the efforts of the police in proving that Greeshma was responsible for Sharon’s death.

Greeshma's role in Sharon's death

The chargesheet outlined that Greeshma mixed poison with a decoction and gave it to her boyfriend, Sharon Raj, resulting in his death. The horrific incident took place in October 2022. On October 14, Greeshma offered Sharon the poisoned drink, followed by juice to wash it down. Shortly after consuming the drink, Sharon began vomiting in his room and continued to do so while traveling back with a friend. He was initially treated at Parassala General Hospital and discharged, but the next day, painful sores appeared in his mouth, and he was re-admitted. Despite medical efforts, Sharon’s organs, including his kidneys, liver, and lungs, failed, and he tragically passed away while under care.

Sharon  met Greeshma during a bus ride to college in October 2021, and the two started a romantic relationship. Greeshma's arranged marriage to a man in the Army was scheduled for 4 March 2022. According to the charges, a fortune-teller had predicted that her first husband would die.

After the marriage was arranged, Greeshma and Sharon secretly exchanged rings at her home and later wed at Vettukadu Church. However, upon the new marriage proposal, Greeshma attempted to break off her relationship with Sharon, but he refused to let go. This rejection prompted Greeshma to plot and carry out his murder.