RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Four accused in the 2024 gang rape and murder of a married woman Kasturi in Burrilanka village of Kadiyam mandal in East Godavari, were sentenced to life imprisonment by a court on Monday.
The verdict was delivered by the Eighth Additional District and Sessions Court.
The accused Devara Yesu, Velubudi Praveen, Lokina Jayaprasad and Dasari Suresh were convicted in the case. The police shifted them to the Central prison on Monday.
Addressing the media, D. Narasimha Kishore, East Godavari Superintendent of Police, said the case relates to the murder of Routhu Kasturi, a resident of Burrilanka village.
On October 15, 2024, Kasturi had gone to work at a nursery near Burrilanka bridge but did not return home.
Her husband reported her missing at Kadiyam Police Station on October 16. During the investigation, Kasturi’s body was found near Choppella locks on October 17.
The case was later altered from a missing complaint to murder after evidence of sexual assault emerged. DSP Bhavya Kishore took up the case and launched an investigation.
Police investigations revealed that four men assaulted Kasturi while she was returning home from work. They allegedly dragged her into the nursery area, gang-raped her and later killed her before dumping the body in a nearby canal.
The accused were arrested and remanded to judicial custody on October 30, 2024. After completion of the investigation, a charge sheet was filed by DSP Bhavya Kishore. The court sentenced all four to life imprisonment and Imposed a fine of Rs 6,000 each.
The SP appreciated the efforts of the investigation team CI A Venkateswararao and the prosecution, including Additional Public Prosecutor K. Radhakrishna Raju, for securing the conviction.