The Hindu : National : Husband of Jaipal Reddy's niece held on murder charge

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National

Husband of Jaipal Reddy's niece held on murder charge

Staff Reporter

Kiran was smothered to death, say forensic doctors

— PHOTO: MOHD. YOUSUF

IN TROUBLE:Chaitanya Reddy being brought to Nampally Criminal Court in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

HYDERABAD: The police on Wednesday arrested S. Chaitanya Reddy in the sensational case of his wife and dermatologist S. Kiran Reddy, whose suspicious death turned into murder, after forensic doctors confirmed she was smothered to death.

Being annoyed with Kiran, niece of Union Minister Jaipal Reddy, for finding fault with him for quarrelling in an inebriated condition with the staff of N Grill hotel in Jubilee Hills where they partied till midnight on May 17, he decided to kill her, said West Zone DCP Stephen Ravindra.

Consumes liquor

Chaitanya Reddy downed eight pegs of whiskey and three pegs of vodka at the party organised by his wife's brother ahead of his marriage, police said.

The accused was having food when the waiters began switching off lights stating it was closing time. An angry Chaitanya Reddy got into an argument with the hotel manager, Srinivas, and also abused the staff. His wife, along with others, intervened and pacified him.

Apparently embarrassed over her husband's behaviour, Kiran told him not to land her in such controversies again and drove him home in their car.

“The argument over the incident continued between the couple during the drive and even after they entered their house,” the DCP said.

Kiran was allegedly pushed by her husband at their house. Police said the woman banged her head against a wall and sustained an internal head injury.

Later, she went into one of the three bedrooms on the first floor and slept.

Seething with rage

Chaitanya Reddy, still seething with rage, smothered her to death using a pillow while she was fast asleep. Later, he slept in an adjacent room. He raised a hue and cry the following morning stating that she was found dead.

The Jubilee Hills police initially registered a case of suspicious death, but later altered the section of law to murder following a complaint lodged by the victim's father. A team of forensic doctors, who performed autopsy, observed that Kiran died of asphyxia due to smothering.

Chaitanya Reddy's father S. Devender Reddy, however, charged that the police had tortured his son and forced him to admit to the crime.

The accused too, displaying scars on his back while being taken to the court from Jubilee Hills police station, alleged that he was stripped and beaten for three days by the police to extract the confession. The DCP said the accused would be taken into custody again for further interrogation.

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