The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Former constable gets death sentence for rape, murder

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Saturday, Oct 28, 2006
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Karnataka - Bangalore

Former constable gets death sentence for rape, murder

Staff Reporter

Fast Track Court judge says it is rarest of rare cases

BANGALORE: The VII Fast Track court in the city on Friday sentenced Umesh Reddy to death for raping and murdering Jayashree (37) in Peenya Police Station limits on February 28, 1998. Reddy was convicted for the offences on Thursday.

Awarding the capital punishment to Reddy, the judge, K. Sukanya, said it was the rarest of rare cases. He was sentenced to pay a fine of Rs. 25,000.

While awarding the sentence, the judge sentenced him to death on murder count, to life imprisonment for rape and to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment for robbery. The sentences would run concurrently, the judge said. The Peenya police had filed the chargesheet.

The convict had pleaded for his leniency as he had already spent a few years in prison and was willing to lead a civilised life. He said he was pursuing a graduation course and was learning computers. He said his father had passed away and his mother was ill.

However, prosecutor V.K. Patil argued that the offence committed by Reddy was rarest of rare and he deserved capital punishment. Upholding the prosecution's contention, the court imposed capital punishment on Reddy while ordering to send the file to the High Court for confirmation of the death sentence. The court based its verdict on the evidence of Jayashree's son Suresh, who was an eyewitness to the assault on his mother and the subsequent heinous acts.

B.N. Nyamagouda, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Special Branch, City Police, who filed the chargesheet against Reddy as police inspector, told The Hindu that Reddy had been convicted and sentenced to seven years' rigorous imprisonment in the case of attempt to murder on Sheeba in Peenya limits and to five years' rigorous imprisonment in attempt to murder Yashoda that too in Peenya limits.

He is facing trial for the offences of rape and murder in Baroda, he said.

Suresh, now 14, is doing well in his studies after being adopted by a businessman in the city and wanted to become an IPS officer, senior police officials said.

Reddy, a native of Basappamalige in Hiriyur taluk of Chitradurga district, was a police constable.

He had studied up to PUC in 1995 and was appointed a constable with the District Armed Reserve in Chitradurga in 1996.

His criminal history started in November 1996 when he attempted to rape a girl, who was walking in KEB Colony of Chitradurga. The victim identified him by chance when he was participating in a police parade, following which a case was registered against him. This later led to his dismissal from service. The same month, he allegedly raped and murdered Roopa, also from KEB Colony in Chitradurga.

He allegedly stole saris and undergarments from a house in January 1997 in Chitradurga. In Bangalore, there were four cases in Peenya against Reddy, including a case of rape and murder, one case each in Gangammanagudi, Jalahalli, Yeshwantapur and three in MICO Layout.

He raped and murdered Jayashree in her Peenya house and took away a VCR on February 28, 1998.

Although the police nabbed him several times, he had managed to escape. The Yeshwanthpur police, after being tipped off by autorickshaw driver Shaktivel, caught him on May 17, 2002. In all, Reddy had 19 cases against him, including four in Chitradurga, four in Peenya, two each in MICO Layout and Baroda and one each in Bellary, Kunigal, Yeshwanthpur, Jalahalli and Hiriyur.

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