Hearing of Jerome’s appeal adjourned

The Bombay high court on Monday adjourned further hearing of an appeal filed by Emile Jerome Mathew, convicted for the alleged murder of media executive Neeraj Grover.

The Bombay high court on Monday adjourned further hearing of an appeal filed by Emile Jerome Mathew,
convicted for the alleged murder of media executive Neeraj Grover.

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The Mumbai sessions court had held that the killing was not pre-meditated and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment for “culpable homicide not amounting to murder.”

A single judge bench of justice RC Chavan will hear Mathew’s appeal and his bail plea next Monday. The court deferred the hearing after the prosecution complained that copies of the appeal and bail application were not served on them.

Mathew, a former navy officer, contended in his appeal that the co-accused, Kannada actress Maria Susairaj, could have killed Grover, if at all the media executive was murdered.

“That motive, if any, was with the Original Accused No 1 (Maria) and not with the Appellant / Original Accused No 2 (Mathew),” his appeal stated.

On July 1, the sessions court had also convicted Mathew and Susairaj for destroying evidence. Susairaj was let out of jail the very next day, as she had spent more than 3 years in jail — the prison term given to her.

Mathew said in the trial court that the prosecution had not been able to ascertain the exact time of Grover’s death and could thus not prove that Grover was alive when Mathew reached Susairaj’s apartment, on May 7, 2008.