Two decades on, SC verdict ends mystery around yesteryear actress Pratyusha’s untimely death

Ending a legal battle that spanned more than two decades, the Supreme Court of India has ruled that the 2002 death of Telugu actress Pratyusha was a suicide, dismissing allegations of rape and murder due to lack of evidence. The verdict was delivered by a Bench comprising Justices Rajesh Bindal and Manmohan. The court observed that medical evidence clearly indicated that the cause of Pratyusha’s death was the ingestion of poison.

The court also upheld the two-year prison sentence awarded by the lower court to Gudipalli Siddharth Reddy, the main accused in the case and Pratyusha’s then boyfriend, for the offence of abetment of suicide.

The court, meanwhile, also dismissed the appeal filed by Gudipalli Siddharth Reddy challenging the High Court verdict, as well as the petition submitted by Sarojini Devi, who had alleged that her daughter’s death was a case of murder. The court also directed Siddharth to surrender before the authorities within four weeks, bringing an end to a legal battle that had stretched over two decades.

On February 23, 2002, Pratyusha and Gudipalli Siddharth Reddy were admitted to a hospital in Hyderabad after allegedly consuming poison. Siddharth maintained that they had attempted suicide because their families did not approve of their relationship. While Pratyusha died during treatment, Siddharth survived.

However, Pratyusha’s mother, Sarojini Devi, alleged that her daughter had been sexually assaulted and murdered by Siddharth and his associates, and further claimed that children of influential political figures of that time were also involved in the crime. Standing firm in her allegations, she had pursued a prolonged legal battle in various courts over these years.

The latest verdict has come as a disappointment to Sarojini Devi and to a large section of the public who hoped for justice in the form of a murder conviction. While the court found no evidence to prove the murder allegations, it made it clear that in cases of a suicide pact, the surviving partner bears legal culpability. Siddharth Reddy, who is said to have settled abroad, will now have to undergo the remaining period of his sentence in prison.

Pratyusha began her film career in 1998 alongside Telugu superstar Mohan Babu, and she soon became active in both Tamil and Telugu cinema. Having lost her father at a young age, Pratyusha grew up under the care and support of her elder brother. Her participation in a beauty contest proved to be a turning point, as she won the title of `Miss Lovely Smile,' earning admiration for her charming smile and gaining a growing fan following. This recognition soon opened the doors to numerous film offers. She went on to act in several Tamil and Telugu films, including Manu Needhi, Super Kudumbam, Thavasi, and Kadal Pookkal.

At a time when her career was rising rapidly, Pratyusha’s life came to a sudden end. In a brief span of just five years, she had acted in 12 films, six of them in Tamil. Among her notable projects were Super Kudumbam with Prabhu, Thavasi starring Vijayakanth and Kadal Pookkal, directed by Bharathiraja.

In an interview she gave to a Telugu media outlet years after her daughter’s death, Pratyusha’s mother, Sarojini Devi, spoke with anguish. “Pratyusha was very happy with her film career. She had never even thought about suicide. At the time of her cremation, I had no suspicions. It was only later that I began to learn many things. Several people interfered unnecessarily in my daughter’s death. They were the ones who diverted the course of the case. I had never opposed her relationship with Siddharth. I only advised her to focus on her career first and think about marriage later, ” she said.

And these words cannot be dismissed merely as a grieving mother’s emotional reaction. The forensic expert who examined the body of Pratyusha had initially raised observations that gave room for suspicion about whether her death could have been a homicide. During the course of the official investigation, however, those findings were eventually set aside and authorities arrived at the conclusion that the actress had died by suicide. While the legal battle surrounding her death gradually subsided following these findings, her family continued to maintain that it was a case of murder.