Sharon Raj murder: Supreme Court dismisses plea by accused-girlfriend Greeshma to transfer trial to Tamil Nadu

The Supreme Court has rejected a petition filed by Greeshma, a 22-year-old woman who is accused of murdering her boyfriend Sharon Raj, to transfer the trial from Kerala court to Tamil Nadu. [Greeshma @ Sreekutty & Ors vs State of Kerala]..Justice Dipankar Datta noted that Greeshma had already withdrawn a similar plea from the Kerala High Court, which was told that this aspect would be raised during the course of the trial..The High Court had, therefore, left this question open for the trial court to decide while allowing the withdrawal of the plea. As such, the Supreme Court declined to allow the plea. ."The petitioner (Greeshma) (gave) up the challenge before the High Court ... Having failed to obtain orders from the High Court and having abandoned the point of jurisdiction it would be inappropriate to entertain the same question on a transfer petition. Since the High Court has left the question of jurisdiction open to be raised by the petitioner before the Sessions Court, there is no question of petitioner being prejudiced, " the top court observed on October 13..The Supreme Court added that a transfer of the trial would not be 'expedient in the interest of justice' and refused to entertain the plea..Greeshma is said to be the former girlfriend of 23-year-old Thiruvananthapuram resident Sharon Raj. Raj died in October 2022 due to multiple organ failure. The police claim that Greeshma had poisoned him after conspiring with her mother and uncle, who were also made co-accused in the murder case.The alleged motive stemmed from Raj's refusal to end his relationship with Greeshma even after her marriage was fixed by her family with another man. In less than a week after his death, Greeshma was arrested. Later, her mother and uncle were also arrested in connection with the case.Greeshma's mother and uncle were eventually able to secure bail but Greeshma remained behind bars for some more time before the High Court granted her bail last month.Meanwhile, the accused also moved a plea in the High Court to transfer the murder trial to Tamil Nadu since the alleged offence was said to have been committed in Kanyakumari.The plea added that the continuation of the trial in Kerala would affect Greeshma's right to a fair trial. Concern was also raised that Greeshma's family may be physically harmed by Raj's family.The Kerala High Court initially admitted the plea and ordered a stay on the trial for three weeks. The Transfer plea was later closed by the High Court on September 26 after the parties said that they would raise the issue during the trial..The accused then moved a petition before the Supreme Court, reasserting that the trial should be held in Tamil Nadu since the alleged incident took place within the jurisdiction of the Palukal Police Station in Tamil Nadu.Greeshma also claimed that the offence of kidnapping was added by the Kerala police at a belated stage so that a Kerala court could take jurisdiction over the matter.This was done while ignoring Raj's dying declaration, wherein he said that he himself had gone to Greeshma's house to get a book, the petition added.Further, the plea submitted that Greeshma's siblings and her ailing father on whom she is financially dependent reside at Kanyakumari. Hence, she urged the Supreme Court to transfer the trial to Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu.This petition has now been dismissed by the Supreme Court. .Advocates Sriram Parakkat, Satheesh Mohanan, Noopur Dubey, Micheal Rao, Shivali Chaudhary, and Vishnu Shankar appeared for Greeshma before the top court..[Read order]