Supreme Court ruled that the High Court decision not to hear the appeal against Criminal Court’s order concerning the release of Haleemath Lamha who is accused of being involved in the murder of Mary Grace, a Filipino nurse working in Maldives was wrong.
Supreme Court ruled that the High Court decision not to hear the appeal against Criminal Court’s order concerning the release of Haleemath Lamha who is accused of being involved in the murder of Mary Grace, a Filipino nurse working in Maldives was wrong.
Mary Grace’s husband, Marvin, is charged with her murder, which occurred in October 2021. Lamha faces charges of aiding in the crime and possessing unauthorized injections. In November 2023, the Criminal Court released Lamha on conditions.
The prosecution appealed the Criminal Court’s decision, and the High Court registrar upheld the Criminal Court's decision. However, Prosecutor General’s Office later decided to file the appeal with Supreme Court.
Supreme Court ruled that High Court had wrongly decided not to hear the case and directed it to accept the appeal if filed within 10 days. The Prosecutor General’s Office said that the case would be resubmitted within the given period.
Despite the ruling, Lamha remains released, while Marvin is still in custody. Earlier, in 2023, Lamha was initially released from custody by the Criminal Court, but the High Court ordered her return to custody.