The two nodded their head in denial when Additional Sessions Judge C D Jadhav read out the charges submitted by the prosecution for carrying out the trial against them. The prosecution has charged the two accused under Section 302 (Murder), 120 (b), (conspiracy to commit murder), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 34 (common intention to commit a murder) under the Indian Penal Code.

The prosecution alleged that on May 7 last year, Jerome and Maria conspired to commit the murder of Grover and accordingly, killed him with a sharp weapon at the house of Maria, later chopped the corpse into pieces and with an intention to destroy evidence, disposed of the pieces in the jungle of Manor.

Maria and Jerome have been in custody ever since their arrest a week after the crime. Recently on a request of Maria, the sessions court had directed Byculla jail authorities to provide her with diet food inside prison.

Maria, who wanted to make it big in Bollywood, had arrived in the city last year and she had come into contact with Grover. According to police, Maria had been promised roles in Hindi films by Grover. When she found out that it was not working out, she killed Grover with the help of her fiance Jerome, they said.