Actress Pratyusha Death Case: After 24 Years, The Supreme Court Delivers Final Verdict

In a 24-year-long legal battle, the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday ruled on its final verdict. SC dismissed the appeal filed by Gudipalli Siddhartha Reddy, who had challenged his conviction on the charge of abetment to suicide in the 2002 death of Telugu-Tamil actress Prathyusha. The court ordered him to surrender to the police within four weeks.

Prathyusha's mother’s plea alleged foul play in the death, while Siddhartha’s plea challenged his conviction. According to Live Law, a bench of Justices Rajesh Bindal and Manmohan upheld the lower courts’ conclusions. They clearly ruled out murder by strangulation and held that the actress died due to poisoning. The Supreme Court also dismissed the rape allegations and rejected the defence argument that the poisoning happened by accident.

The Supreme Court also dismissed the plea filed by Gudipalli Siddhartha Reddy, who had challenged his conviction for abetment to suicide in the 23-year-old case involving the death of Telugu/Tamil actress Prathyusha.

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According to Live Law, the bench pronounced, “One is, 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. Four, at the belated stage, it is difficult to allege that the cause of death was rape and strangulation...defense of accidental consumption rejected. Abetment by purchase of neurontone established.”

As per reports, Prathyusha and Reddy were in a relationship, but Reddy’s parents opposed it. They both took poison together, but Reddy survived. Later, the court found him guilty of abetment to suicide and attempted suicide. The court sentenced him to five years in prison, but the Andhra Pradesh High Court reduced it to two years in 2004.

Reddy challenged his conviction for abetment to suicide in the Supreme Court. Prathyusha’s mother also moved to the Supreme Court and opposed the reduced sentence. She claimed that her daughter was raped and poisoned. During the hearing, the Court granted the appellant bail. The Court also asked for the postmortem report by Dr B Muni Swamy, who stated that strangulation caused the actress’s death. However, the trial did not examine Dr Muni Swamy.

The Court, however, dismissed the rape allegation. Now, the Court directed the appellant to surrender within four weeks.