Actress's lawyers withdraw from Grover murder case

Lawyers of Kannada actress Maria Susairaj, who was arrested for allegedly murdering television producer Neeraj Grover in May 2008, on Monday withdrew from the case saying they were "greatly disturbed" over allegations that they had threatened a prosecution witness.

Susairaj's lawyers Sudeep Pasbola and Acharya Murthy told the sessions court on Monday that they were "greatly disturbed" by the allegation that they had threatened a panch witness Usha Ramalu to not testify in the case.

The police had arrested a man named Raju Wankhede on Saturday for allegedly threatening Ramalu with dire consequences if she deposed in court.

Wankhede was allegedly acting at the behest of Murthy and another defence lawyer, Raja Thakur.

Ramalu had deposed that the prime accused and Kannada actress Maria Susairaj had led the police to the spot where she and her naval officer fiance, Emile Jerome Mathew, had disposed Grover's body on May 7 last year.

According to the prosecution, Susairaj and Mathew had allegedly stabbed Grover to death after an altercation at Susairaj's residence. The duo then allegedly burnt the body at the Manor jungles in the outskirts of Mumbai.