3-year jail for Maria; Jerome gets 10-year imprisonment

Since Maria has already served more than three years in prison, she can now walk free.

A local court on Friday sentenced Kannada actor Maria Susairaj to three years' imprisonment and her fiancé and former naval officer, Emile Jerome, to 10-year jail in the TV executive Neeraj Grover murder case.

Towards compensation to the Grover family, Maria will pay a fine of Rs. 50,000 and Jerome Rs. 1 lakh.

But none of the parties is satisfied with the verdict and all of them have decided to go in appeal.

Maria is slated to be released soon after formalities are completed as she has already served three years in prison during the trial period.

The court convicted Maria of destruction of evidence under Section 201 of the Indian Penal Code. Jerome was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for destruction of evidence, and to 10-year jail for culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 of the IPC. Both sentences would run concurrently.

Grover was killed in May 2008. Jerome was engaged to Maria at the time of the murder. There was a scuffle between Jerome and Neeraj which resulted in Jerome stabbing Neeraj repeatedly. Maria helped Jerome in disposing of evidence and cutting the body into pieces.