Actress Prathyusha's death case: SC upholds two-year jail term for Siddhartha Reddy, asks him to surrender in 4 weeks

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the two-year jail sentence awarded to Gudipalli Siddhartha Reddy in the 2002 death of actress Prathyusha.

The court directed him to surrender within four weeks. The verdict has seemingly brought closure to a 24-year-old sensational case.

Apex Court dismisses accused’s appeal

The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal filed by Siddhartha Reddy challenging the Telangana High Court’s 2011 judgment, which had reduced his sentence from five years to two years while enhancing the fine to Rs 50,000.

The apex court, after recently reserving its verdict, affirmed the High Court ruling and ordered the accused to surrender before the concerned authorities within four weeks.

Tragic incident in 2002

Prathyusha and Siddhartha Reddy were reportedly in a relationship while studying Intermediate in Hyderabad. After completing her studies, Prathyusha entered the film industry, while Siddhartha Reddy pursued engineering.

On the evening of February 23, 2002, both were admitted to a private hospital after consuming a soft drink allegedly mixed with pesticide. Prathyusha died the next day, February 24, while Siddhartha Reddy recovered and was discharged on March 9.

A three-member medical board appointed by the State government concluded that Prathyusha died due to organophosphate poisoning. The report ruled out allegations of suffocation or sexual assault before her death.

CBI probe and trial court verdict

Following the medical findings, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a chargesheet against Siddhartha Reddy under Sections 306 (abetment of suicide) and 309 (attempt to commit suicide) of the Indian Penal Code.

On February 23, 2004, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Sessions Court convicted Siddhartha Reddy and sentenced him to five years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 5,000.

High Court relief in 2011

Challenging the trial court verdict, Siddhartha Reddy approached the High Court. On December 28, 2011, the High Court reduced his prison term to two years but increased the fine to Rs 50,000.

Appeals before the Supreme Court

In 2012, both Siddhartha Reddy and Prathyusha’s mother, Sarojini Devi, filed separate appeals in the Supreme Court. After prolonged legal proceedings spanning over a decade, the apex court has now upheld the High Court’s order.

With this ruling, the long-pending case that once triggered widespread debate across the Telugu states has reached its legal conclusion, with the accused directed to surrender and serve the remaining sentence.