HYDERABAD: The Rangareddy Sessions Court on Tuesday rejected the bail petition of ex-serviceman Putta Gurumurthy, who is accused of murdering his wife, Putta Venkata Madhavi, in Meerpet in January 2025. This marks the fourth time his bail plea has been denied by the court.
Initially, Meerpet police registered a missing case based on a complaint filed by Madhavi’s mother. However, the case took a turn after Gurumurthy allegedly confessed to the crime to his maternal uncle, leading to his arrest.
The prosecution argued that Gurumurthy brutally murdered his wife after she and her family allegedly defamed him during a panchayat meeting held in their native village.
The defence counsel claimed there was no direct evidence linking Gurumurthy to the crime. He pointed out that no eyewitnesses had come forward and that the CCTV footage only showed Gurumurthy leaving with a bucket and returning later, evidence that was purely circumstantial.
Highlighting Gurumurthy’s clean record and military background, the counsel argued that as an ex-soldier with no prior criminal history, he had maintained discipline and deserved the presumption of innocence. “This was an unfortunate, isolated domestic incident,” the defence submitted.
However, Additional Public Prosecutor T Venkateshwara Prasad countered that the murder was brutal and committed in broad daylight. He informed the court that a chargesheet had already been filed and that the government had been requested to set up a Special Fast Track Court for a speedy trial, along with the appointment of a Special Public Prosecutor.
The prosecutor further expressed concern that the accused, given his military experience and interstate postings in Assam, Dehradun, Tamil Nadu, and other places, had the capacity to abscond and potentially evade trial using his network of contacts.
After hearing both sides, the court declined to grant bail to Gurumurthy.