Photographs: Sahil Salvi/Rediff.com
Clad in a floral brown kurta and black pants, the 30-year-old was escorted to a waiting car by a posse of policemen, as there was a huge media presence outside the Byculla Jail.
Accompanied by her brother, Maria stopped at Mahim church for 10 minutes to pray.
She will hold a press conference later in the evening. She wants to talk to the public, said her lawyer Sharif Shaikh. He also dismissed reports of her moving out of the city. "Maria is staying in Mumbai," he said....
Neeraj Grover murder: Maria walks free, visits church
Photographs: Sahil Salvi/Rediff.com
While Maria was released, Jerome, 28, awarded ten years imprisonment, will have to be behind bars for seven more years. The duo had been in jail for three years as undertrials.
Neeraj Grover murder: Maria walks free, visits church
Photographs: Sahil Salvi/Reuters
Both the accused were charged by the prosecution with murder, criminal conspiracy, common intention and causing disappearance of evidence.
Maria's counsel Sharif Sheikh had contended that she had already served three years in jail, as provided under Section 201 of IPC, and "keeping her in jail for more days would be like illegal confinement". Maintaining that she was not a habitual offender, Sheikh pleaded for lighter sentence considering her young age.
Neeraj Grover murder: Maria walks free, visits church
Neeraj's grieving father Amarnath Grover had described the sentence as an "acquittal" for Maria.
Neeraj was killed and his body hacked into several pieces and dumped in Manor forest in adjoining Thane on May 7, 2008.
article