VIJAYAWADA: The High Court has mandated the Guntur District Collector, Deputy Superintendent of Police, and Rajahmundry Central Jail Superintendent to submit reports on Kunchala Shashi Krishna, sentenced to death for the murder of BTech student Nallapu Ramya. The reports, covering his mental health, prison behaviour, family background, socio-economic status, criminal history, education, and income sources, are due within two weeks. The court indicated that further proceedings will depend on this information, and postponed the hearing to October 22.
It may be recalled that Shashi Krishna, a mechanic from Vatticherukuru in Guntur district, was convicted for murdering Ramya on August 15, 2021, after she rejected his advances. Arrested shortly after, he faced a Special Fast Track Court, which deemed the case rare and sentenced him to death on April 29, 2022. Shashi Krishna appealed against the sentence in 2022, leading to multiple court hearings.
During the final proceedings, his lawyer Challa Ajay Kumar emphasised that the Supreme Court mandates lower courts to consider the defendant’s mental state and the circumstances surrounding the crime, which could influence the severity of the sentence. Justices Kanchireddy Suresh Reddy and Konakanti Srinivasa Reddy acknowledged the importance of these factors and instructed officials to provide detailed information about Shashi Krishna ahead of the upcoming hearing. The court is set to resume proceedings on October 22 to decide on the next move.