SC restores five-year sentence in actress Prathyusha death case

The Supreme Court has restored the five-year prison sentence awarded to Siddhartha Reddy in the 2002 death case of actress Prathyusha, bringing an end to a prolonged 23-year legal battle.
Prathyusha, who made her Tamil debut with Manuneethi in 1999 and acted in several Telugu and Tamil films, died in February 2002 after consuming poison in Hyderabad. She was 20. Siddhartha Reddy, who allegedly consumed pesticide along with her amid reported family opposition to their relationship, survived.
A trial court had convicted Reddy for abetment to suicide and sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment. However, the High Court in 2011 reduced the term to two years and imposed a fine.
Challenging the reduction, Prathyusha’s mother moved the Supreme Court. The apex court has now set aside the High Court order, confirmed the original five-year sentence and directed Reddy to surrender within four weeks.