Today, On 17th February, The Supreme Court rejected the appeal of a man convicted in the 2002 death of Telugu actress Pratyusha and directed him to surrender within four weeks. It dismissed her mother’s plea, citing evidence of poisoning and no rape.
The Supreme Court rejected the appeal of a man contesting his conviction in the 2002 death of Telugu actress Pratyusha and ordered him to surrender within four weeks.
The bench, consisting of Justices Rajesh Bindal and Manmohan, also dismissed a plea from P. Sarojini Devi, the mother of Pratyusha, who alleged foul play in her daughter’s death, stating,
“Murder by strangulation is ruled out. Two, overwhelming ocular and medical evidence proves death due to poisoning. Three, the offence of rape against the appellant accused is not made out. At the belated stage, it is difficult to allege that the cause of death was rape and strangulation.”
Pratyusha passed away in Hyderabad on February 24, 2002. In 2011, the Andhra Pradesh High Court reduced the sentence of G. Siddhartha Reddy, who was convicted in her death, from five years to two years.
The trial court had originally sentenced him to five years in 2004 for abetting suicide and imposed a fine of Rs.5,000.
Additionally, he received another year of imprisonment and a fine of Rs.1,000 for attempting suicide.
According to the remand report, Reddy and Pratyusha were in a romantic relationship for six years. While the relationship was accepted by Pratyusha’s mother, Reddy’s mother opposed it, leading the couple to consider suicide.
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Earlier, On February 23, 2002, they purchased a pesticide bottle, mixed it with Coke, and attempted to consume it.
However, they later changed their minds and drove to Care Hospital in Hyderabad, with Reddy at the wheel. Despite medical efforts, Pratyusha did not survive, while Reddy did.
According to the key details, Pratyusha and Reddy were involved in a relationship that was disapproved of by Reddy’s parents. They reportedly ingested poison together, but Reddy survived. He was subsequently convicted on charges of abetment of suicide and attempted suicide, receiving a five-year prison sentence, which the Andhra Pradesh High Court later reduced to two years in 2004. Reddy challenged his conviction for abetting suicide by bringing the case to the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, Pratyusha’s mother also appealed to the Supreme Court, contesting the reduction of Reddy’s sentence and alleging that her daughter had been raped and poisoned. During the proceedings, the appellant was granted bail, and the Court requested the postmortem report from Dr. B. Muni Swamy, who had stated that Pratyusha’s death was due to strangulation.
However, Dr. Muni Swamy was not called to testify during the trial.
Case Title: GUDIPALLI SIDDHARTHA REDDY v STATE C.B.I.|Crl.A. No. 457/2012 and P SAROJINI DEVI v.CBI ,Crl A 894-895/2012