The Criminal Court has ordered the release of Haleemath Lamha, who is accused of killing Mary Grace, a Filipino nurse at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

On Tuesday, the court ordered Lamha to be placed under house arrest for three months. The former nurse had earlier requested the judge for a conditional release.

Earlier last year, the Criminal Court ordered Lamha to be released from custody. However, the High Court quashed the lower court's order.

Mary was a nurse in the IGMH dialysis department while her husband Marvin Vargas 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, 2021. Lamha was arrested 50 days later on December 16, 2021.

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.

Both Marvin and Lamha pleaded not guilty and the defendants have submitted witnesses to testify in their defence.