Maria Susairaj, who completed her 3 year jail term for helping dispose of the body of slain Neeraj Grover, has denied that she cut her formers lover’s body into pieces.
In a press conference, her advocate showed the photograph of the recovered body which showed the body more or less intact.
“This photograph is part of the evidence. There are no pieces in this photo,” said the counsel, showing a photo which he claimed is a copy of the one which has been submitted in the Court as evidence.
He claimed that there was only one big plastic bag in which the dead body was taken to be disposed off and not several plastic bags as is being reported in the media.
The advocate also denied that Maria had called Neeraj Grover to her flat. He pointed out that call records has shown that Neeraj, a TV executive who was having a relationship with Maria who was in turn the fiance of the murder-accused Emile Jerome, was the one who made the call.
“She did not want to meet with him, but he nevertheless showed up,” the advocate said.
Jerome too had called on the night previous to the killing and heard the voice of Neeraj Grover in the background, got suspicious. “He immediately caught a flight from Cochin [to Mumbai,]” the advocate said.
Maria’s press conference was disturbed by hecklers. She also pointed out that she is not taking up any acting offers, as rumored on the media.
Maria, who has already served 3 years for her alleged role in getting rid of the dead body, also said she will appeal against her conviction. “There is not enough evidence to convict her under section 201” the advocate said. Section 201 deals with destruction of evidence under the Indian Penal Code.
Maria’s lawyer pointed out that even if she did help Jerome to dispose of the body, it is not a crime if it was done under threat of murder. “According to the law, if any crime is committed under threat to life, it is not a crime.. Any normal person would have done the same thing,” he said, pointing out that Jerome had threatened to kill Maria if she did not help him.
