SC Orders Siddharth Reddy to Surrender in Actress Prathyusha Death Case

More than two decades after the death of Telugu actress Prathyusha shocked the film fraternity and triggered intense public debate, the Supreme Court has delivered a decisive verdict, directing convict Gudipalli Siddharth Reddy to surrender within four weeks. The court dismissed his plea seeking to be discharged from the case and set aside his conviction, while also rejecting the petition filed by the actress’s mother demanding that the death be treated as murder.

A bench comprising Justices Rajesh Bindal and Manmohan ruled that medical and forensic evidence clearly established death due to poison consumption , and found no proof to support allegations of strangulation or sexual assault . The court observed that at this advanced stage, reinterpreting the cause of death was not legally sustainable. It reaffirmed that eyewitness accounts and medical reports consistently pointed to poisoning as the cause.

Prathyusha, a rising Telugu and Tamil film actress, died in Hyderabad on February 24, 2002 , at the age of 22. Investigations revealed that she and Siddharth Reddy had been in a relationship for nearly six years and allegedly entered into a suicide pact amid opposition to their marriage from his family. On February 23, the couple purchased pesticide, mixed it with a soft drink, and consumed it. They later sought medical help at CARE Hospital in Hyderabad. Despite treatment, Prathyusha died, while Reddy survived.

The case soon became controversial, with allegations of murder and sexual assault raised by family members and sections of the media. However, forensic findings did not support those claims.

In 2004 , a trial court convicted Reddy for abetment of suicide and attempt to die by suicide, sentencing him to five years’ imprisonment. In 2011 , the Andhra Pradesh High Court reduced the sentence to two years. The Supreme Court’s latest ruling upholds the conviction, reinforcing the legal principle that a surviving partner in a suicide pact may be held liable for abetment.

Prathyusha’s mother, P. Sarojini Devi , fought a long legal battle seeking a murder investigation. With this verdict, the Supreme Court has effectively brought closure to one of Tollywood’s most debated tragedies, reducing long-standing legal uncertainty.

As per the order, Siddharth Reddy must surrender within four weeks to serve the remaining sentence, marking the final chapter in a case that has spanned over 23 years.