24 years later: Final verdict in Actress Prathyusha death case

The sensational death case of Telugu actress Prathyusha, which once shook united Andhra Pradesh, has finally reached its legal conclusion. Nearly 24 years after the 2002 incident, the Supreme Court has delivered its final verdict, bringing closure to one of the most discussed cases in Tollywood.

The apex court dismissed the petition filed by Siddhartha Reddy and directed him to surrender within four weeks. His plea to overturn the High Court’s sentence was rejected, with the Supreme Court making it clear that the earlier judgment will stand.

Originally, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Sessions Court had sentenced Siddhartha Reddy to five years in prison. However, the High Court later reduced the punishment to two years, a decision that was challenged in the Supreme Court by both Siddhartha Reddy and Prathyusha’s mother, Sarojini.

With the Supreme Court now upholding the two-year jail term, Siddhartha Reddy must surrender and serve his sentence.

In the 2002 case, he had claimed that both he and Prathyusha consumed pesticide in a suicide attempt, and that he survived after hospital treatment.