Text messages between the two suspects involved in the death of IGMH nurse Mary Grace show the female suspect, Haleemath Lamha, warned her lover and Mary's husband, Marvin, to be careful in using an injection.
The police began investigating Filipino nurse Mary's death on October 19, when her husband, Marvin, reported her death to the police as a suicide. Marvin was arrested the following day and remained in custody, and Marvin's lover and colleague, Haleemath Lamha, was arrested on December 16. Both Marvin and Haleemath also worked as IGMH nurses.
While the Prosecutor General's Office has raised charges against Marvin and Lamha, hearings in their separate trials were held on Thursday. During the hearing, the State said Lamha conspired with Marvin on how to murder Mary and paved the way for him to carry out the act. The State noted Marvin and Mary's child stayed with Lamha at the time of the incident, and Lamha went back to the apartment Marvin and Mary shared and spent 20 minutes at their residence before leaving once again. One minute after she left, Marvin made the phone call that reported Mary's death as a suicide. The State said an ambulance was called, adding that CCTV footage and forensic reports will be submitted as evidence to support the statement.
Lamha's attorney, Abdulla Shakir, said the evidence is being submitted to prove that Lamha hanged herself and that it cannot be tied to his client. He further said the State would need to prove that Lamha made threats against Mary and facilitated Marvin to carry out her murder. He also pointed out that it is common for women whose husbands cheat to have a hostile relationship with their husband's mistresses.
However, the State said Lamha sent text messages to Marvin 10 days before the date of Mary's death, instructing him on how to administer an injection. In her message, she asked her lover to 'be careful when injecting. Marvin himself had made several Google searches on his phone seeking information on how to kill a human.
Although the State requested the court to keep both suspects in custody pending the outcome of the trial, Judge Hussain Faiz Rashad extended their remand by 30 days.
As Marvin had not presented a document confirming that he had hired a lawyer for himself, the judge granted him ten days to find himself a lawyer. Lamha was remanded by 30 days, and the judge said the remand would be reviewed before the date expired.
Marvin has been charged with murder with intent to kill, and Lamha is suspected of conspiring to murder, hiding the death, conspiracy to commit a crime, requesting a crime, possessing resources used to commit the crime, and giving false information to an official authority.
Mary Grace's body was sent to India to conduct a post mortem, which ruled out suicide as a cause of death. The police said it is more likely that she was hit with an object or received an extensive injury at the hands of another person.
