HYDERABAD: During the bail arguments of Putta Gurumurthy, the key accused in the Meerpet murder case, the defense counsel argued that there is lack of forensic evidence directly linking him to the alleged crime.
The counsel told the LB Nagar court that no DNA evidence or a conclusive forensic report links the accused to the alleged murder. “The accused is entitled to the benefit of the doubt”, the counsel stated.
The defense further contended that the prosecution has failed to establish a strong motive or any premeditation behind the alleged crime-both of which are essential to prove a cold-blooded murder.
This sensational case involves the alleged murder of a woman by her husband, who is accused of killing her, chopping her body into pieces, turning the remains into powder and disposing of them in a lake and the washroom of his house. Gurumurthy was arrested by Meerpet police on January 28 and has been in custody for nearly 70 days.
During the bail proceedings on Friday, the defense emphasised that no human remains had been recovered from the Pedda Cheruvu in Meerpet, as claimed by the police.
Recovering or a body of human remains. The remains were not recovered from the Pedda Cheruvu in Meerpet. “The absence of any biological remains evidence undermines the prosecution’s case regarding the disposal of the body”, the counsel argued.
The defense also questioned the reliability of statements made by a relative, Subba Rao, to whom the accused allegedly confessed several days after the incident. “This is not an extra-judicial confession and cannot be considered reliable unless supported by independent evidence,” the counsel said, citing the State of Maharashtra vs. Damu judgment to support the argument that such confessions are inherently weak without corroboration.
However, the public prosecutor countered these claims, stating that the accused deliberately destroyed all possible evidence to avoid detection. “He executed this crime in a manner that no one could even imagine. The investigating officers treated this case as a challenge and have been working tirelessly to gather sufficient evidence. The chargesheet will be filed soon,” the prosecutor told the court.
The counsel representing the victim’s family also expressed concern, stating that the accused poses a threat due to the violent nature of the crime.
After hearing both sides, the court reserved its order on the bail petition and posted the matter for April 7.