Who Is Greeshma, the Youngest Woman to Get Death Penalty in Kerala?
Greeshma, 24, was sentenced to death for poisoning her boyfriend, becoming Kerala's youngest woman to receive the death penalty.
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 20th January 2025: In a landmark decision, a Kerala court has sentenced Greeshma, a 24-year-old woman, to death for the brutal murder of her boyfriend, Sharon Raj. The court's ruling has made Greeshma the youngest woman in Kerala to receive the death penalty.
Greeshma, a literature student from Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, had been in a relationship with Sharon Raj, a final-year BSc Radiology student from Thiruvananthapuram. The two had been in a close relationship for over a year. However, as Greeshma's family arranged her marriage with another man from Kerala, she wanted to end her relationship with Sharon Raj.
Reports suggest that Sharon Raj refused to accept the breakup, leading Greeshma to plot his murder. Despite her engagement, Greeshma continued her relationship with Sharon until she eventually planned to kill him.
On 14th October 2022, Greeshma invited Sharon to her house and offered him an ayurvedic decoction that she had mixed with poison. Sharon drank the concoction and immediately fell ill. He was rushed to the ICU, where he battled for his life for 11 days but passed away due to multiple organ failure. Before his death, Sharon had suspected that Greeshma poisoned him and even told a friend about it. He also left a statement to the magistrate, naming Greeshma and revealing that he had recorded a video of the drink before consuming it.
After Sharon's death, his family filed a police complaint against Greeshma, leading to her arrest on 31st October 2022. During questioning, Greeshma confessed that she had poisoned Sharon because she feared he might expose intimate pictures of her to her future husband.
Greeshma’s mother and uncle were also arrested in connection with the crime. It was later revealed that they had conspired together to help Greeshma carry out the murder. Forensic analysis confirmed the presence of pesticides in the decoction.
Despite her confession, Greeshma and her family tried to defend themselves by accusing Sharon Raj of abusing and torturing Greeshma. However, the court found no evidence to support these claims.
After nearly a year in custody, Greeshma was granted bail in September 2023. The trial began in October 2024 and concluded in January 2025 at the Neyyattinkara Additional Sessions Court. The court found that Greeshma had carefully planned the murder, taking advantage of Sharon Raj’s trust in her.
The court sentenced Greeshma’s mother and uncle to three years in prison, but in a rare and shocking decision, Greeshma was sentenced to death. The court noted that Greeshma had planned the murder when her family was away, making the crime even more heinous.
In its ruling, the court also pointed out that Greeshma’s age should not be considered in her punishment, as the severity of the crime was too great. The court also rejected her claim of abuse, saying there was no evidence to back it up.
Greeshma now holds the record as the youngest woman to be sentenced to death in Kerala. The case has sparked debates across India about the severity of punishment for such crimes, especially when committed by young individuals.
