Hyderabad cops say engineering student died in accident, no proof of foul play
Hyderabad: After analysing evidence Hyderabad police has concluded that 21-year-old B.tech student Devi Reddy's death last Sunday was due to injuries suffered in the car crash.
Police commissioner M. Mahender Reddy added that no evidence was found to substantiate a statement from eyewitness Ramulu, who claimed to have seen Bharat Simha Reddy - the other person in the car - assaulting Devi a few minutes before the accident.
Bharath, who was earlier booked under Section 304 (causing death by negligence) has now been booked under Section 304 II (culpable homicide), under which the accused is punishable up to 10 years in prison.
Police said after Devi’s father dropped her at her friend Sonali’s house in Gachibowli, Bharath picked both of them in his car and they drove to Jubilee Hills to pick up friend Vishwanath. They then proceeded to a pub. On way to the pub, Devi asked her mother if she could spend the night at Sonali’s home, but she refused. “At the pub, Bharat consumed liquor. We collected video of this,” the commissioner said.
At 2.30 am, Sonali offered to drop Devi, but she preferred to be dropped by Bharath. Around 3.30 am, Bharath and Devi drove towards her house in HUDA colony. “They covered 14 km in just 10 minutes, at an average speed of 100 kmph, and there is no evidence to prove there were others in the vehicle,” the commissioner added.
The accident happened at 3.58 am, and when a patrol reached the spot they found Bharath screaming for help and Devi stuck in the front seat. “Both of them were not wearing seatbelts. Devi was gasping and was shifted to hospital in Bharath’s parents’ car. They arrived after a phone call from Bharath. But Devi was dead,” the commissioner said.
Devi’s father says family ‘happy’ with investigation
Shortly after the statement from police, Devi Reddy’s father, Niranjan Reddy, said the family were satisfied with the investigation. He said facts unearthed by police matched their own information He also added that they had found peace in the fact that she was not assaulted. He however urged cops to reconsider eyewitness Ramulu’’s statement. Meanwhile, further details in the case have also emerged.
Bharath Simha Reddy and Devi Reddy had started their relationship nine months ago but the girl’s parents were not aware of this fact. Police said that when Devi’s father dropped her at Sonali’s home, he was told only the two girls were going to the pub. Devi didn’t tell him about Bharath.
After the pub visit, Devi asked Bharath to drop her home. Around 12.55am, during the party, when Devi’s sister Manasa called her, she said that Sonali would be dropping her home.
“Between 1am and 3.32am Devi got six calls from home. She told Sonali would drop her home,” commissioner Mahender Reddy said. To make her family believe Sonali was dropping her, Devi initiated a conference call with her father and Sonali.
“To avoid disturbance during that call, Bharath drove his car to a dead end curve at HUDA colony. But later, when her father called Devi again, she said she would reach home in two minutes,” Mr Reddy added.
So to reach Devi’s home in under two minutes, Bharath drove very fast but soon lost control and hit the tree. Devi, suffered serious injuries to her head and ribs.
while Bharath suffered a fracture on his right wrist and abrasions on the left side of his body.
