Daijiworld Media Network

Mumbai, Jun 30: Kannada actress Maria Susairaj and her boyfriend Emile Jerome, a former naval officer have been convicted in the brutal murder case of senior TV executive Neeraj Grover by a Mumbai sessions court on Thursday June 30.

While, Maria was convicted for destruction of evidence under Indian Penal Code Section 201, Jerome convicted for culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 (Part 1). As a major setback in the case, prosecution failed to prove the Jerome's motive behind murder.

Sessions court judge MW Chandwani said that the intention to kill could not be proven in the court.

Maria might walk free when the sentence in pronounced on Friday July 1 as three years is the maximum sentence for destruction of evidence with her already serving three years sentence.

Public prosecutor R V Kini and Grover's relatives expressed their unhappiness with the conviction. They are also planning to appeal against the verdict for the party was demanding the death penalty.

"I am disappointed with the court's decision and have lost my faith in judiciary, Amarnath Grover, father of Neeraj Grover.