Hyderabad court sentences man to death for 2011 murder of stepsister

The court noted that Singh was in judicial custody for six months in 2011-12 and from March 2023 till date.

A local court in Hyderabad Monday sentenced a man to death after finding him guilty of killing his stepsister, with whom he was allegedly in a relationship, in July 2011.

III Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ) Manda Venkateswara Rao of Medchal Malkajgiri District Court at Kukatpally held Karan Singh alias Kamma Singh, a native of Bidar in Karnataka and 22 years old at the time of murder, guilty of the crime.

The court convicted Singh under Section 235 (2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and sentenced him to be “hanged by neck till death” for an offence punishable under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000.

Singh murdered her by stabbing her at an isolated place near Bharat Nagar flyover on a day when she refused him sex, the chargesheet filed by the police said. Her naked body was found with 15 to 20 stab injuries in the bushes near the flyover.

He killed the woman using a knife that he always carried with him, the chargesheet said. The accused later confessed to the crime when apprehended by the police.

According to the prosecution, the deceased and the accused were addicted to consuming alcohol and disagreements between them led to her murder.

A blacksmith, the accused was a habitual offender in theft cases since the age of 10 years.

Additional Public Prosecutor G V Ramakrishna Rao, who argued the case, said the district court took permission from the High Court to award the death sentence in the case, taking into consideration the brutality of the murder.

While the defence argued that the accused did not commit the murder, the prosecution was able to produce material, technical and forensic evidence along with eye-witness accounts and the confession of the accused, he told The Indian Express.

The police said the investigation by the then Sanath Nagar police inspector, Saini Srinivasa Rao, and the comprehensive chargesheet filed by him, with strong evidence against the accused, were key factors in securing the accused’s conviction.

Avinash Mohanty, Commissioner of Police, Cyberabad, congratulated the team of officers and the Public Prosecutor who worked tirelessly to ensure the accused was punished. “This victory is a testament to the dedication and perseverance shown by the police during the investigation and trial. It demonstrates the commitment of the police system to delivering justice to the people,” Mohanty said in a statement.