Karnataka high court to deliver verdict on Shubha S today

The Karnataka high court is all set to pronounce its verdict on Thursday on the appeal filed by advocate Shubha S, challenging her conviction in the murder of her fiance, Intel employee BV Girish.

Shubha and three others — her boyfriend Arun Verma, Dinesh and Venkatesh — were convicted by a fast-track court for Girish’s murder and sentenced to life.

A division bench, comprising justices N Anand and AS Pachhapure, will pronounce the verdict on Shubha’s appeal.
Girish, a software engineer with Intel, was murdered three days after his engagement to the advocate.

The murder case hit the headlines as Shubha was, at that time, practising as an advocate. Her father is also an advocate. Arun Verma, one of the three others convicted by the fast-track court, was allegedly Shubha’s lover. Girish and Shubha were engaged on November 30, 2003.

The murder took place on the ring road, on the outskirts of Koramangala. Vivekanagar police had booked a case and arrested the culprits in January 2004.  Shubha and the other convicts have maintained that they had nothing to do with the murder, and that the life sentence issued by the fast-track court ought to be suspended. Shubha has also appealed for bail. 

The fast-track court had also convicted Shubha for destroying evidence, and giving false information to protect the offenders. For these offences, the court had sentenced her to an additional three-year imprisonment, and Rs25, 000 fine.

The court had also directed that part of the total fine amount of Rs2,75,000 be paid to the family of the deceased.