Supreme Court Rules in Actress Prathyusha Death Case: Boyfriend Guilty of Abetment to Suicide, Dismisses Murder Claim

The Supreme Court has delivered a landmark verdict in the case of South Indian actress Prathyusha, 23 years after her tragic death. The court rejected the claim that her death was a murder but held her boyfriend, Siddharth Reddy, guilty of abetment to suicide.

Details of the Verdict

Prathyusha, known for her work in Tamil and Telugu cinema, had a brief career spanning just four years, appearing in 12 films before her untimely death in 2002. She allegedly attempted suicide by consuming poison alongside Siddharth Reddy. While she succumbed to the poisoning at Care Hospital, Siddharth survived.

On Tuesday, a bench led by Justice Rajesh Bindal of the Supreme Court dismissed Reddy’s petition challenging his conviction for abetment to suicide. The court also rejected a plea by Prathyusha’s mother, Sarojini Devi, which sought to classify her daughter’s death as murder. The court found that eyewitness and medical evidence conclusively showed that Prathyusha’s death was due to poisoning, ruling out the possibility of strangulation.

Key Takeaways from the Supreme Court Decision

1. The possibility of death by strangulation was dismissed.
2. Strong eyewitness and medical evidence confirmed death by poisoning.
3. Allegations of rape against the appellant were not proven.
4. At this stage, claims of murder by rape or strangulation were found unsustainable.
5. Defence citing accidental poisoning was rejected.
6. The charge of abetment to suicide via administration of Neuroton was upheld.

Background of the Case

On 22 February 2002, Prathyusha consumed poison along with her boyfriend Siddharth Reddy. Both were reportedly in a romantic relationship, which was opposed by Prathyusha’s family. Following the incident, she passed away during treatment, while Siddharth survived. Questions of foul play and murder were raised by her family in the aftermath.

Sentencing History

Initially, Siddharth Reddy was sentenced to five years for abetment to suicide and attempted suicide. In 2004, the Andhra Pradesh High Court reduced his sentence to two years. Both Reddy and Prathyusha’s mother subsequently challenged aspects of the sentencing in the Supreme Court—Reddy against his conviction and Sarojini Devi against the reduction in sentence.

The Supreme Court has now directed Siddharth Reddy to surrender within four weeks.