HYDERABAD/NALGONDA : The II Additional District and Sessions Judge and Special Judge for SC/ST (POA) Act cases, N Roja Ramani, on Monday sentenced Subhash Sharma (Accused No. 2) to death for the murder of Perumalla Pranay in Miryalaguda on September 14, 2018.
The court ruled that Sharma be hanged until death under Section 302 of the IPC, Section 3 (2) (v) of the SC/ST (POA) Act, and Section 27 (3) of the Indian Arms Act.
Six other accused — Md Asghar Ali, Md Abdul Bari, Md Abdul Kareem, Thirunagaru Sravan Kumar, Samudrala Shiva and Md Nizam — were sentenced to life imprisonment.
The prime accused, businessman Maruthi Rao (A-1), had died by suicide in March 2020, leading to the abatement of charges against him. Maruthi Rao had opposed his daughter Amrutha’s inter-caste marriage to Pranay and orchestrated the murder, according to the prosecution. He had paid Asghar Ali, also an accused in the Hiren Pandya murder case, to carry out the killing.
Case background
Amrutha, who was pregnant at the time, visited a hospital with her husband Pranay on September 14, 2018, when hired assailants attacked and killed Pranay with an 18-inch butcher knife.
Following a complaint by Pranay’s father P Balaswamy, the police arrested the eight accused under the SC/ST Act and on murder charges.
Court rejects defence argument that Pranay was a Christian
The police filed a 1,600-page chargesheet on June 12, 2019, detailing the involvement of all accused.
While Sarma and Asghar Ali remained in jail throughout the trial, the other five accused were released on bail. The 527-page judgment mentioned caste-related aspects 132 times. During the trial, the defence argued that Pranay was Christian as he was buried in a Christian graveyard and claimed that the SC/ST (POA) Act was inapplicable in the case.
The prosecution, led by Darshanam Narsimha, countered with evidence, stating that Pranay’s father had received Rs 4 lakh from SC Financial Corporation as compensation as he belonged to the SC community.
“As seen from the history of India in the SC community, burial is a common practice which often takes place in designated burial grounds specific to the community due to historical social segregation, though the exact rituals and customs vary depending on the region and specifics of castes within the SC community. It is important to note that this practice is not uniform across all SC communities, and some may choose cremation,” the court order reads.
Trial and sentencing
The trial spanned five years, involving 110 witnesses, including 78 who testified in court. Four judges presided over the case during this period.
After the sentences were pronounced on Monday, the convicts sought reduced sentences, citing health issues and family responsibilities. T Shravan Kumar, uncle of Amrutha, appealed for leniency, stating he had two unmarried daughters. His daughter, Spurthi, claimed her father was wrongly implicated and alleged that police coerced him into admitting his involvement. “He was forced to sign a blank paper. Amrutha is responsible for my father being convicted,” Spurthi said.
Following the verdict, Pranay’s family, including his father P Balaswamy, mother Shanta and brother Ajay, visited his grave in Miryalaguda. Balaswamy expressed the hope that the judgment would serve as a deterrent against caste-based “honour” killings.
He urged people to accept inter-caste marriages and avoid tragic consequences due to caste pride.
Case timeline
January 30, 2018 Pranay and Amrutha marry
September 14, 2018 Pranay murdered
June 12, 2019 Chargesheet filed
March 2020 Maruthi Rao dies by suicide
March 2025 Court delivers verdict
Appendix of Evidence
78 prosecution witnesses
2 defence witnesses
293 prosecution exhibits
15 defence exhibits
32 marked material objects