Navy officer confesses to media exec's murder

MUMBAI: Naval lieutenant JeromeMatthew told investigators on Thursday that the reason he had murdered mediaexecutive Neeraj Grover was because he had found him nude in his girlfriend'sMalad home. (Watch)Matthew and his girlfriend,Kannada actress Maria Susairaj, have been arrested for killing Grover anddisposing of the body in the jungles of Manor after stuffing the chopped bodyparts into three bags. Matthew said that when he had phoned Susairaj on May 6,she told him that Grover was helping her move into her new apartment at DheerajSolitaire building and would leave in a few hours. But when Matthewflew into Mumbai the next morning, he said he was shocked when Susairaj openedthe door in a skimpy outfit. Matthew walked straight into her bedroom and foundGrover in the nude."Matthew was consumed with jealousy and rage ashe realised what was happening behind his back. He headed straight to thekitchen and returned with a knife. The two men had a scuffle and Mattheweventually overpowered Grover, stabbing him several times," a senior crimebranch officer said. Matthew then slapped Susairaj hard across her face,according to the police. Susairaj apparently told Matthew that shehad not slept with Grover willingly. The couple then had consensual sex twice inthe same flat, even as the body lay in a pool of blood, police said, refutingclaims that Matthew had raped her after the murder."Matthew hadmaintained a stiff silence ever since he was brought to Mumbai from Kochi's navyheadquarters. He broke down only late on Thursday night, when he was brought tothe crime branch for interrogation. He has been weeping for hours," an officersaid.Matthew had never met Grover before. Matthew was taughttechniques of man-to-man combat and how to use a dagger as part of his navaltraining. He put his skills to use to overpower Grover. Susairajused her credit card to shop for a knife and three bags from a local mall, sinceshe had run out of cash, police said. Matthew then used this newknife to chop Grover's body to pieces and stuff it into the threebags.Incidentally, crime branch chief, Rakesh Maria, had smelt a ratwhen he read a report in the TOI about Grover going missing. "Grover had astable career and a good life. There seemed a low probability of hisgoing missing just like that," Maria said. Grover's parents, who came down fromUP to look for their missing son, met Maria on May 9. Barely threedays later, Susairaj herself came to meet Maria with her brother and three ofGrover's friends. "She requested me to look into the case personally. But I toldher upfront that she was my 'suspect number 1'. After her arrest, she admittedto her role in the crime," he said.