Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 20: A local court in Thiruvananthapuram sentenced 24-year-old Greeshma to death by hanging for murdering her lover, Sharon Raj, by poisoning him with a toxic chemical mixed into ayurvedic medicine on October 14, 2022.

While the sentence was being pronounced, Greeshma remained motionless, but Sharon’s parents, present in the courtroom, broke down in tears.

The court remarked that the crime was heinous, and the convict deserved no leniency. Although there were no eyewitnesses in the case, the court praised the police investigation team for conducting a flawless probe.

The court had invited Sharon’s parents to witness the sentencing, highlighting the emotional gravity of the case.

The case also involved Greeshma’s uncle, Nirmal Kumar, who was sentenced to three years in prison. However, Greeshma’s mother, the second accused, was acquitted.

Sharon succumbed to poisoning after battling for life for 11 days, passing away on October 25, 2022.

The tragic relationship between Greeshma and Sharon initially started as a close friendship but deteriorated after Greeshma became engaged to another man.

Evidence presented in court revealed that Greeshma sought to end her relationship with Sharon, motivated by an astrological prediction claiming her first husband would die, allowing her to have a peaceful second marriage.

WhatsApp messages between the two showed Greeshma’s belief in this prediction, which Sharon reportedly attempted to challenge and disproved. Relatives claim Sharon had symbolically married Greeshma at Vettukadu Church and even applied ‘sindoor’ on her forehead.

Sharon’s family accused the Parasala Police of initially attempting to derail the investigation, despite their insistence that the murder was premeditated.

The case took a dramatic turn when Greeshma attempted suicide by consuming disinfectant while in police custody. The attempt, made just before evidence collection, was thwarted by police intervention, saving her life. A separate case was filed against her for this suicide attempt.

During the trial, despite the substantial evidence presented by the police, Greeshma continued to deny any wrongdoing. The case garnered widespread public attention, with many awaiting the verdict as a test of justice in a deeply tragic story.

Mumbai, Jan 20: Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, the 30-year-old Bangladeshi national arrested for allegedly stabbing actor Saif Ali Khan during a failed robbery attempt, told police that he was a wrestler in Bangladesh before coming to India, sources said.

Shehzad revealed during interrogation that he used to compete in the lower weight category at district-level and national-level wrestling championships in Bangladesh.

His wrestling background, he claimed, enabled him to attack Saif Ali Khan without sustaining any injuries himself, police sources added.

After committing the crime, Shehzad reportedly changed his clothes three to four times to evade detection. He moved across multiple locations, travelling from Bandra to Dadar, Worli, Andheri, and finally to Thane.

On the day after the incident, he returned to Dadar, continuously roaming around, making it difficult for the police to track him down.

Shehzad arrived in Mumbai in September and initially worked at a hotel through a housekeeping company. The contract of the company was also raided as part of the investigation.

Meanwhile, police have transferred Shehzad from Santacruz Police Station to Bandra Police Station for further questioning and investigation. They revealed that Shehzad had scoped out several Bollywood celebrities’ residences before targeting Saif Ali Khan’s house.

He admitted to surveying Saif Ali Khan’s 12-storey building, Satguru Sharan, and Shah Rukh Khan’s Mannat, among other high-profile residences.

Using a ladder to inspect entry points, Shehzad abandoned plans to target Mannat due to its tight security and high walls.

On January 15, Shehzad conducted a detailed recce of Saif Ali Khan’s house and identified an easy entry point. He returned later that night and entered the building at 1:37 a.m. on January 16.

However, his robbery attempt failed, and in a panic, he attacked Saif Ali Khan before fleeing without stealing anything.

Desperate to return to Bangladesh after being unemployed for a month, Shehzad sought financial help but was unable to secure funds. Inspired by an auto driver’s comments about celebrity homes in Bandra, he decided to rob a high-profile residence to finance his return.

Despite a clear opportunity to steal cash and jewellery, Shehzad fled in fear of being caught. He then closely monitored the investigation through news channels, saving screenshots of suspects shown by the media, which were later recovered from his mobile phone.

Mumbai Police initially detained two suspects who resembled Shehzad but continued their hunt. He was eventually arrested on Sunday morning near Hiranandani Estate in Kasarvadavali, Thane, about 35 kilometres from Saif Ali Khan’s residence.

He had been hiding in a labour camp in a forested area and attempted to evade arrest by hiding in bushes but was captured after a seven-hour search operation.

According to DCP Dixit Gedam, Shehzad lacked Indian identification documents, and evidence confirmed his Bangladeshi nationality. Investigators also found that he had been living in Mumbai for four months under the alias Bijoy Das.

Upon his arrest, Shehzad confessed to the crime, saying, “Haan, maine hi kiya hai” (Yes, I did it). He has been remanded to police custody for five days, during which investigators plan to recreate the crime scene at Saif Ali Khan’s residence.

The incident has raised concerns about the security of high-profile residences in Mumbai. Police continue their probe to uncover more details about Shehzad’s activities and background.

Kolkata, Jan 20: A few hours before the Special Court in Kolkata pronounces the quantum of sentence on Monday for civic volunteer Sanjay Roy, the sole convict in the rape and murder of a woman doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, the father of the victim demanded maximum punishment for the sole convict.

“Before pronouncing the sentence today the judge of the special court will hear what the convict has to say. He insisted on saying something on January 20, the day he was convicted by the special court. The judge agreed to give him a hearing today. I do not know what Roy has to say now or what impact it will have now. But as for us, we want maximum punishment to be given to him,” the victim’s father told newspersons in the morning.

He also accused the state administration of guarding the main brains behind the tragedy besides Roy.

“Roy is undoubtedly the culprit. But more are involved in the conspiracy. The administration had been trying to defend them since the beginning,” he said.

The victim’s mother, who was accompanying him, said that probably Roy remained silent for such a long period, since he was assured by anyone of getting him bailed out in the matter.

The judge, on January 18, had already made it clear that the maximum punishment in the case could be the “death penalty”, while the minimum punishment in the matter could be life imprisonment.

The proceedings of the special court will start on Monday at around noon and in the beginning, the judge will allow Roy as well as the victims of the parents to present their concluding statements on the matter. Thereafter the special court judge will pronounce the sentence in the case.

Although the process of sentence against Roy in the case of the crime of rape and murder will be completed on Monday, the angle of investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as regards “tampering” and “altering” of evidence in the matter will be still alive.