The Criminal Court has ordered the release of Haleemath Lamha, a defendant who was in custody over the murder of Filipino nurse Mary Grace.

Lamha was granted a conditional release. She was prohibited from leaving the house between 10 pm and 6 am and required to seek the court's permission to leave Male'.

The Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) nurse was killed by asphyxiation after blows to the head and neck, the autopsy report showed.

After the police investigation, murder charges were raised against her husband Marvin Vargas.

Haleemath Lamha, who was charged with aiding the murder, was his lover.

Ruling on a motion filed by her lawyers to review her detention, Judge Hussain Faiz Rashad said it was unfair for the accused to be kept in custody for a long period due to a protracted trial.

At the previous hearing, Lamha's lawyers had asked the court to release her with an ankle tag for electronic surveillance, noting her lack of a prior criminal record and the ability to monitor her whereabouts if she was deemed to pose a danger to society.

However, the judge did not specificly address the point over the ankle tag.

The case

Mary was a nurse in the IGMH dialysis department while Marvin and Lamha worked as nurses in the casualty department.

As divorce is illegal in the Philippines, Marvin and Lamha were alleged to have been having a secret affair.

Marvin reported Mary Grace's death as a suicide by hanging on October 19, 2021. But suspicious circumstances prompted the police to conduct further investigations.

Marvin was arrested on suspicion of murder on October 27. Lamha was arrested 50 days later on December 16.

Marvin was charged with wilful murder and Lamha was charged with wilfully aiding a murder.

She faces additional charges over controlled medicines from IGMH that were found hidden in her room, which she had taken without permission.