The Supreme Court has confirmed that Telugu actress Prathyusha’s death resulted from organophosphate poisoning, not manual strangulation. Gudipalli Siddhartha Reddy’s conviction under Section 306 of the IPC for abetment of suicide was upheld by the court. The appeals challenging the verdict, including allegations of rape and homicidal strangulation, were dismissed by the Bench of Justices Rajesh Bindal and Manmohan.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court’s decision to reduce the accused’s sentence to two years under Section 306 IPC was affirmed by the Supreme Court. The controversy arose from conflicting reports, with the postmortem report suggesting manual strangulation, while the Andhra Pradesh Forensic Science Laboratory found organophosphate poison in the deceased’s internal organs.
Expert committees concluded that Prathyusha’s death was due to organophosphate poisoning, ruling out manual strangulation or sexual assault. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was involved in the case, seeking expert opinions from AIIMS. The AIIMS committee’s findings supported death by organophosphorus poisoning and refuted claims of strangulation or sexual assault.
The Supreme Court highlighted the disparity between initial postmortem opinions and subsequent scientific reports. It emphasized that the medical evidence consistently pointed to death by poisoning, not strangulation. Upholding the conviction, the court maintained the two-year sentence with an increased fine, directing Gudipalli Siddhartha Reddy to surrender within four weeks.
