Life Sentence for Hyderabad Priest: The Disturbing Murder of an Aspiring TV Actress

New Delhi: A Hyderabad court on Wednesday sentenced 36-year-old priest Venkat Surya Sai Krishna, alias Sai Krishna, to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of aspiring television actor Kuruganti Apsara in June 2023. 

The court found him guilty under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and imposed a ₹10 lakh fine.  

Deception, Murder, and a Chilling Cover-Up

Sai Krishna, who was already married, lured Apsara into a relationship under the false promise of marriage. When she pressured him to marry her and threatened to expose him, he decided to eliminate her.  

On June 3, 2023, he picked her up in his car, smothered her with a cover, and struck her head with a stone, killing her. 

He then kept her body in his car’s trunk for two days, masking the odor with air fresheners. Later, he disposed of her body in a manhole near his house, sealed it with cement, and covered it with red soil. To destroy evidence, he burned her belongings and thoroughly cleaned his car.  

To divert suspicion, Sai Krishna took Apsara’s mother to a police station and filed a missing person report. However, discrepancies in his statements and CCTV footage led investigators to suspect him.  

Upon interrogation, he confessed to the crime, leading to his arrest by Shamshabad police.  

After reviewing the gruesome details of the case, the court found Sai Krishna guilty of murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The ₹10 lakh fine imposed adds to the legal consequences of his crime.