Mumbai: Just hours after she walked out of jail, Kannada actress Maria Susairaj on Saturday claimed she was innocent in the May 2008 killing of television executive Neeraj Grover. “All I can say is I am innocent, my god knows I am innocent,” Maria said, breaking her silence before an aggressive media after her release from the Byculla Jail. She was in a printed dress when she got into a waiting white Honda City car with tinted glasses. Even as she spoke intermittently, mostly in English, looking at times disturbed and at times composed, Grover’s friends staged a protest at the venue shouting slogans like “Maria is a killer”.
On Friday, Maria was senteced to three years in jail by a session court for destruction of evidence. Her fiance, navy officer Emile Jerome Mathew, was sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment for killing Grover.
Jerome killed Grover at Maria’s flat May 7, 2008 after he found him sleeping in the nude on her bed. The two were accused of chopping the body to pieces.
As she has already spent three years in jail, Maria was freed Saturday.
Mumbai Police have said they will challenge the judgement. And Grover’s family says they have been denied justice.
Maria tried to defend herself.
“I have left my past behind. I have not yet decided on future. I will let my family decide about it.
“I only believe in my god and thank him from bringing me out of this.”
Even though her lawyer Sherif Sheikh did most of the talking, it was Maria who was the focus of all attention.
At the press conference, her lawyer flashed a photograph submitted by the prosecution as evidence to insist the body was not cut up.
“Can you see where are the 300 pieces? The prosecution did not mention 300 pieces. The photograph shows the body was almost intact, let alone 30 pieces.”
Maria said she did a lot of activities in jail, including painting and praying.
“I have not yet digested the fact that I have been convicted,” she said.
Maria was released after she paid up a fine of Rs.50,000 to be handed over to Grover’s family as compensation.
Another Rs.100,000 as fine would go to the Grover family from Jerome.
Both her lawyer and Maria refused to comment on the case or victim Grover saying the matter was sub-judice.
When the media asked Maria to clarify who killed Grover, Sheikh intervened to say she would not comment anything on the case.
Soon after leaving the Byculla jail in south Mumbai, Maria went to the Mahim Church about eight kilometres away, pursued by an army of reporters and photographers.
At the church, she prayed for some time. She cried, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Later, the media lost her vehicle in the traffic.
At 7 p.m., Maria landed at the Mumbai Press Club accompanied by her lawyer and her brother.
At the same time, scores of friends of the murdered man, led by filmmaker Ashok Pandit, staged noisy protests at the media conference.
Carrying placards, they shouted slogans demanding justice for Grover and booed Sheikh and Mariah.
To a question, Sheikh said Maria had no plans to join Bollywood or act in any film. (IANS)