Neeraj murder case: Maria walks free, claims innocence

Mumbai, Jul 2 (PTI) Kannada actress Maria Susairaj on
Saturday walked free in the Neeraj Grover murder case having
already served three-year term as undertrial and claimed she
is "innocent" at a press interaction marked by protests and
high drama.
Maria (30), sentenced to three-year imprisonment in the
macabre killing of TV executive Neeraj Grover in May 2008,
said her conviction is a "stigma" on her life while her lawyer
Sharif Sheikh, who was present alongside, told a chaotic press
conference she would challenge it in the superior court.
Clad in a floral brown kurta and black pants, Maria, who
earlier in the day was released from the Byculla jail, also
said only "god brought me out" and that she has left her past
behind. She also visited a church to offer prayers.
"I know I am innocent and my god knows I am innocent,"
Maria told the media at the Mumbai press club marked by
protests by a group of people led by film-maker Ashok Pandit.
Armed with placards, the protesters initially remained
quiet but as Sharif started giving details of the case and
spoke against Grover the protest became vocal.
The starlet was found guilty under IPC Section 201
(causing disappearance of evidence) and awarded the maximum
punishment of three-year jail term yesterday along with
boyfriend Emlie Jerome, a former navy officer.
Jerome (28) was held guilty of culpable homicide not
amounting to murder in the macabre killing of Grover (25) and
awarded 10 years imprisonment of which he has already served
three years.
Maria, who spoke intermittently with her lawyer
addressing the media most of the time, said she was all
sympathy for the family of Grover but refused to comment on
her relations with him.
"I desperately sympathise (with Neeraj's family)
losing somebody. The whole scenario is sad," she said.
Sharif also showed a photograph used by the
prosecution to deny that Grover's body was cut into 300 pieces
as was being claimed.
Neeraj's father Amarnath Grover said Maria had nothing
to say other than that she was innocent. "She should have had
the strength to own up to the truth in front of the media," he
said. On Neeraj's family blaming her for the crime, Maria
said, "I don't want to say anything about him or his family."
Even as most of what the struggling actress and her
lawyer said got drowned in the din and cacophony, a glum-faced
Maria admitted that she was still to come to terms with her
new-found freedom and was undecided about her future.
"I am not going to decide anything for myself anymore.
Let my family decide everything. I have put my past behind. I
have not yet realised what is happening with me," she said.
"There are tears in my eyes. I have not faced people
for three years and now this pressure (protest). You can't
expect people to be cool," she said as Pandit and his
supporters chanted slogans--"We want justice for Neeraj
Grover" and "The killer should be hanged".
Several of them walked menacingly to the table where
Maria and her lawyer were seated and demanded "Let the killer
speak".
As the situation threatened to get out of control,
Maria's lawyer Sheikh said those who did not want to hear what
was being said at the media conference were free to leave the
premises or the interaction will be called off abruptly.
Soon police was called in and the protestors made to
leave. Some of them were pushed out of the venue by media
persons who said if they had to make a point they should hold
a press conference.
Maria said in the 3 years and 41 days that she was
in jail, she felt blessed "as I got closer to God. I did a lot
of painting, prayer meets."
Sheikh said as they were not satisfied with the
verdict, they will file an appeal in the High Court.
"The police gave false information to the media about
the victim's body being hacked into 300 pieces," he said
showing a photograph of the remains of Neeraj's limbs.
On her complicity in the crime, Sheikh said," She had
gone to buy materials to dispose of Grover's body only because
she was threatened by Jerome."
When asked if she was still close to Jerome, Maria
replied in the negative.
"I am here with you. How can I be close to him," she
said. On whether they were still "just friends", she shot back
with a terse "no".
Despite media's insistence, she refused to speak
anything about the case, as advised by her lawyer.
Maria earlier appeared composed as she walked out of
the Byculla jail and later escorted to a waiting car by a
posse of policemen due to huge presence of media contingent
outside the prison.
Talking to reporters at his Kanpur home after the
conclusion of Maria's press interaction, Amarnath Grover said
he will pursue the case in a higher court.
"We will pursue the case. Destruction of evidence by
Maria is a disgraceful act," he added
Ashok Pandit justified the protests saying he cannot
see a "killer" walking free.
"We have made this a citizen's movement--Justice for
Neeraj Grover. We have started our movement from today. We
will appeal to the higher judiciary," Pandit said.