Who is the 24-year-old Kerala woman sentenced to death for poisoning her boyfriend?

The Sharon Raj murder case, one of the most shocking and high-profile trials in Kerala’s recent history, concluded with a chilling verdict as the Additional Sessions Court sentenced Greeshma SS to death.

The 24-year-old woman was convicted of poisoning her 23-year-old boyfriend, Sharon Raj, in a cold-blooded act driven by her desire to end their romantic relationship.

The court ruled last week that the severity of her crime far outweighed any leniency her young age might have warranted. This makes Greeshma the youngest woman in Kerala’s history to receive capital punishment.

But who is Greeshma, and what drove her to commit such a heinous act? Here’s what we know of the chilling case.

The incident dates back to 14 October 2022, when Sharon visited his girlfriend, Greeshma, at her residence.

As per the prosecution, Greeshma, a resident of Kanyakumari, and Sharon, from Parassala in Thiruvananthapuram, had been close since 2021. At the time, she was pursuing her postgraduate degree in English, while Sharon was in the final year of his BSc Radiology course.

Their friendship blossomed into a relationship that lasted over a year before tensions began to arise.

In March 2022, Greeshma’s family arranged her marriage to a military officer in Tamil Nadu, and she agreed to the match while still continuing her relationship with Sharon.

As the wedding date drew closer, Greeshma grew increasingly anxious that Sharon might reveal their relationship to her fiancé. Fearing the consequences, she conspired with her uncle, Nirmalakumaran Nair, to execute a plan to kill Sharon.

According to the Indian Express, Greeshma allegedly conducted extensive online research on the effects of painkillers and made several attempts to poison Sharon. Investigators revealed that she laced his water and juice with tablets, but these attempts failed to produce the desired effect.

Determined to succeed, she even challenged Sharon to a juice-drinking contest, yet he emerged unharmed. Frustrated by the failed attempts, Greeshma decided to use stronger substances.

On 14 October 2022, about a month before her planned wedding, Greeshma invited Sharon to her house and served him a medicinal ayurvedic drink. Unknown to him, she had mixed toxic herbicide into the concoction.

Since ayurvedic drinks are naturally bitter, Sharon did not notice anything unusual. However, shortly after leaving Greeshma’s house, he began feeling unwell and experienced severe vomiting that night. He was hospitalised, but his condition worsened over the following days.

Eleven days later, Sharon succumbed to multiple organ failure while undergoing treatment at the Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. Before his death, Sharon confided in a friend that Greeshma had “cheated” on him and suspected she had poisoned him.

Following his death, Sharon’s family lodged a police complaint, leading to Greeshma’s arrest on October 31. Her mother and uncle were also taken into custody for allegedly abetting the crime and destroying evidence.

The case was filed under multiple sections of the IPC, including Section 364 (kidnapping or abducting with intent to murder), Section 328 (causing hurt by means of poison), Section 302 (murder), Section 201 (causing the disappearance of evidence and providing false information), Section 203 (giving false information), and Section 34 (criminal acts done in furtherance of a common intention).

She was granted bail nearly a year later, in September 2023.

The Neyyattinkara Additional Sessions Court found Greeshma guilty of murder, ruling that the severity of her crime outweighed any consideration of her age.

During the trial, the defence had sought leniency and argued that Greeshma, a young woman with a promising academic record, deserved an opportunity to reform. They claimed she had already shown signs of change and should be given a chance to rebuild her life.

The court noted that Greeshma had betrayed Sharon’s trust by emotionally manipulating him.

“The act of inviting Sharon over under the pretext of sexual intimacy and subsequently committing the crime cannot be ignored. It is the State’s responsibility to ensure punishment for criminal acts,” the court stated.

“Evidence such as Sharon recording a video of the suspicious juice, despite Greeshma asking him not to record, indicates that he suspected something was wrong. Sharon fought for his life for 11 days without even consuming a drop of water,” ANI quoted the court saying.

The court then dismissed Greeshma’s claims of mental pressure and physical abuse by Sharon, citing a lack of evidence. “She has no proof to support her allegations. On the contrary, Sharon had never accused her in any messages or communications. While Sharon remained loyal to her, Greeshma continued to maintain contact with her fiancé,” the court observed.

It further noted that the crime was carried out without provocation and criticised Greeshma’s failed attempts to cover up her actions.

The court deemed the case a “rarest of rare” instance and sentenced her to death, asserting that her young age could not be considered a mitigating factor. Her uncle, Nirmal Kumar, was given a sentence of three years of rigorous imprisonment for acting as an accomplice, and for destroying evidence. Her mother, however, was acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence.

The trial, which began on 15 October 2024, involved the examination of over 95 witnesses before the final verdict was delivered.