Mumbai: The Bombay High Court Friday admitted
an appeal filed by former naval officer Emile Jerome, challenging the 10-year sentence awarded to him for the murder of media professional Neeraj Grover.
Justice R C Chavan admitted Jerome's appeal and kept his
bail hearing after two weeks.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government informed the court
that it would be filing an appeal next week seeking
enhancement of punishment for both Jerome and his Kannada
actress fiancé Maria Susairaj.
While Jerome was convicted under charges of culpable
homicide not amounting to murder, Susairaj was sentenced to
three years imprisonment on a lesser charge of destruction of
evidence.
Jerome in his appeal blamed Susairaj for the murder of
Grover.
"That motive, if any, was with Susairaj for committing the offence and not with him," the appeal said.
It further stated that prosecution had not been able to
ascertain the time of Grover's death and hence it cannot be
ruled out that Grover was already dead when Jerome landed in
Mumbai.
According to the prosecution, Grover was stabbed to death
by Jerome and Susairaj at her flat on May 7, 2008 following a
fight. The duo then allegedly chopped his body into pieces and
disposed it off at Manor jungle in the outskirts of the city.
PTI
First Published: Friday, August 05, 2011, 14:58