Kondapaka , Kokkula Sujatha v. The State of Telangana
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NOTE:- The Accused was directed to be…
NOTE:- The Accused was directed to be…
This page shows the compact analysis of this judgement. The full analysis — procedural history, issue-by-issue holdings with ratio and obiter, advocates, and paragraph-level evidence for every claim — is being added to the record in batches and will appear here when this judgement has been through it.
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THURSDAY, THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF MARCH TWO THOUSAND AND TWENry FIVE
PRESENT
THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE K.SURENDER AND
THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE E.V. VENUGOPAL
CRIMINAL APPEAL NOs: 1219 1256 1258 1444 0F 2017 AND 546 0F 2020
CRIMINAL APPEAL NO: 1219 OF 2017
Appeal filed under Section 37 aQ) ot Cr.P.C against the Judgment dated 12-09-2017 in S C. No 658 of 2012 on the file of the Court of the lV Additional Sessrons Judge, at Karimnagar.
Between:
Konda Raju S/o. Laxmi Rajam,27 years, Occ. Student, R/oH.No.9-8-127, Tharakramanagar, Siricilla.
...APPELLANT/ACCUSED(A5)
AND
The State of Telangana, Rep by its Public Prosecutor, Hyderabad.
...RESPONDENT/COMPLAINANT
Counsel for the Appellant: Sri Pappu Nageshwar Rao
Counsel for the Respondents: Public Prosecutor
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CRIMINAL APPEAL NO: 1256 OF 2017
Appeal filed under Section 37 4(2) of Cr.P.C against the Judgment dated 12-09-2017 in S.C. No 658 ot 2012 on the file of the Court of the lV Additional Sessions Judge, at Karimnagar.
Between:
Akuleni lndira Wo. Narsimha Reddy, aged 3'1 years, R/o Gurralagondi Village, Chinnakoru Mandal, Now at Subhashnagar, Sircilla
...PETITIONER/APPELLANT No. 2
AND
State of Telangana, Rep. by Public Prosecutor, High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the State of Telangana and State of Andhra Pradesh.
...RESPONDENT
Gounsel for the Appellant: Sri P. Prabhakar Reddy
Counsel for the Respondent: Public Prosecutor
CRIMINAL APPEAL NO: 1258 OF 2017
Appeal filed under Section 37 4(2) of Cr.P.C against the Judgment dated 12-09-2017 in S.C. No 658 of 2012 on the file of the Court of the lV Additional Sessions Judge, at Karimnagar.
Between:
Guduri Raju, S/o. Sudershan, Aged about 29 years, Occ Unemployed, R/o. H.No.275, Shahajanand Society, Surat, Gujarat State, (Currently residing at Nehru Nagar, Siricilla, Siricilla Dist., T.S.)
...APPELLANT/ACCUSED No. 5
AND
The State of Telangana, Rep by the Station House Officer, P.S. Siricilla, Through Public Prosecutor, High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the State of Telangana and the State of Andhra Pradesh.
...RESPONDENT/COMPLAINANT
Counsel for the Appellant: Sri P. Prabhakar Reddy
Counsel for the Respondent: Public Prosecutor
CRIMINAL APPEAL NO: 1444 OF 2017
Appeal filed under Section 374(2) of Cr.P.C against the Judgment dated 12-09-2017 in S.C. No 658 ot 2012 on the file of the Court of the lV Additional Sessions Judge, at Karimnagar.
Between:
Kondapaka Sridhar @ Shekar @ Madhu @ Gopi @ Chinna, S/o Nagabhushanam, Aged about 30 years, Occ: Goldsmith, R/o H.No. 24-78 Ashok Road Mancherial now at Shivanagar, Sircilla.
...APPELLANT/ACCUSED No.'l
AND
State of Telangana, Rep. by Public Prosecutor (TG) High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad
...RESPONDENT/COMPLAINANT
Counsel for the Appellant: Sri P. Prabhakar Reddy
Counsel for the Respondent: Public Prosecutor
CRIMINAL APPEAL NO: 546 OF 2O2O
Appeal filed under Section 37 4(2) ot Cr.P.C against the Judgment dated 12-09-2017 in S C No 658 of 2012 on the file of the Court of the lV Additional Sessions Judge, at Karimnagar.
Between:
Kondapaka @ Kokkula Sujatha, Wo. Kondapaka Sridhar @ Shekar,Aged about 37 years, Occ. House Wife, R/o.H.No. 12$-124, Shivanagar Sircilla, Srrcilla District.
...APPELLANT/ACCUSED No. 3
AND
The State of Telangana, Rep. by its public prosecutor High Court for the state of Telangana Hyderabad,
...RESPONDENT/COMPLAINANT
Counsel for the Appellant: Sri C. Ruthwik Reddy
Counsel for the Respondent: Public Prosecutor
The Court delivered the following COMMON JUDGMENT:
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THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE K.SURENDER AlID THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE E.V.VENUGOPAL
CRIMINALAPPEAL Nos.1219. L25,6. L25'8. 1444 oF 2017 & 546 0F 2020
COMMON JUDGMENT: (per Hon'ble Si Justice K.Surender)
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on the next day, P.W. I tried to contact the deceased on his phone, but his phone was switched off. On 22.O6.2011, P.W. I received a phone call from phone No.94 +OO72821, stating that the deceased was kidnapped and theperson on the call demanded a ransom of Rs.2,0O,OOO/-.However, P.W. I was instructed to deposit the amount in the account of a bank. On 24.06.20 I 1, P.W. I went to the Police andlodged a complaint/Ex.P. 1. After lodging the complaint, P.W.1 was asked to deposit the ransom amount in the account ofone Geethanjali who had an account in SBH,Jagtial. Accordingly, an amount of Rs.1,50,0O0/- was depositedon 25.06.2011. On the basis of the complaint, P.W.l1 tookup investigation. P.W. Iprovided the account number toP.W. I 1. P.W. I I then went to the house of Geethanjali(not examined) in whose account the amount was deposited. Againon 25.06.201l, a threatening call was received by P.W.1, and he was asked to deposit the remaining amount of Rs.SO,OOO/-. The call details of the deceased's mobile number andarea numbers were collected. The Investigating Offrcerana)yzed several numbers, and twophone numbers, i.e., 99497O3O9O belonging to A-6 and 9000286556 belonging toone Ranganath, a resident of Warangal, were found tobe
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suspicious P.W. 11 questioned A-6 about the suspected phone numbers, and A-6 informed that the number99497O3O9O was used by A-4 and A-1. The Investigating Oflicer further found that part of the amount, i.e., Rs. 1,5O,OOO/-, which was deposited into the account, was withdrawn from the ATM. The CCTV footage was collected of the time when the money was withdrawn. During interrogation, A-6 informed about the flat No.4O2 in ARK Residency, Uppal. P.W. I I then secured the presence of P.Ws. 1 and 2, and others, and a,lso gave a requisition to the MRO, Uppal, to break open the lock of the flat. On breaking open the flat, they found the refrigerator tied with a saree, and the body of the deceased was found in a plastic bag tied with a cable wire in the refrigerator. Inquest was conducted, and the dead body was sent for the post-mortem examination. P.W. I 1 also called a fingerprint expert to lift the chance prints from the scene.
"1. Multiple contusion of various dimensions seen over both gleutail region.
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Further, P.W.7 opined that thecause of death was Asphyxia due to smothering, associatedwith strangrrlation.
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4'-6, P.W. 11 arrested A-1 and A-3 to A-5 on 15.O7.2OI1 at Peddapalli railway station. A-1 and A-3 to A-5 were interrogated, and pursuant to their confessions, the seizure of ATM cards was effected. On further enquiry, it was revealed that A-1 was involved in several offences, and he confessed to the murder of the deceased with the help of the other accused.
lO. The prosecution relied on the following circumstances:-
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7 . None of the circumstances projected by the prosecution make out any case against the appellants.
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CD was marked subject to objection. Admittedly, there is no 65-E} certificate provided by the person who transferred the contents of the CCTV footage onto the CD. No witness was examined who had collected the CCTV footage or copied the CCTV footage onto the CD.
SudamSanap v. State of MaharashllEt, held that, in the absence of a 65-E} certificate or Erny other evidence requiring certification under Section 65-El of the Indian Evidence Act, such evidence cannot be looked into.
'2025 Lawsuit 1SC1ttz
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the Apartment two days before leaving the Apartment,i.e., 24.06.20Lt.
I9. P.W.3 did not speak specifically about theaccused as to when he found A-3 to A-5 living along with A- 1.Accordingto P.W.3, A-1 brought the deceased to the flat on24.06.2Oll.lt is not the case of P.W.3 that A-3 to A-5 were in thehouse when A-1 took the deceased to the flat. It is strange that the
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Investigating Officer did not take any steps to examine any of the neighbours of the flat. The examination of neighbours or neighouring flat owners would have lent credibility to the version of the prosecution that A-1, A-3 to A-5 stayed in the said flat.
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death of the deceased was not stated by any of the witnesses. Mere assumption that they were responsible for causing the death solely because they were living with A- 1 cannot form basis to infer guilt of A-2, A-3 to A-6.
"3646, Kidnapping for ransom, etc.-
Whoever kidnaps or abducts any person or keeps a person in detention after such kidnapping or abduction and threatens to cause death or hurt to such person, or by his conduct gives rise to a reasonable apprehension that such person may be put to death or hurt, or causes hurt or death to such person in order to compel the Government or aIry foreign State or international inter-governmental organisation or any other person to do or abstain from doing any act or to pay a ransom, shall be punishable with death, or imprisonment for life, and shatl also be liable to firne."
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20.06.2025 to 24.06.2025, however, the deceased was brought to the flat on 24.06.2011 by A-1. Pursuant to the phone calls made to P.W. 1, the amounts were transferred into the account and subsequently withdrawn. P.W. 1 was threatened, and pursuant to the said threat received over the phone, the amount was deposited into the account.
or (i) Any person being kidnapped, abducted, detained.
(iil Threatening to cause death or hurt to such a person.
(iiil Conducting in a manner that gives rise to apprehension that the abducted person may be hurt or killed.
(iv) Such act or conduct, which is deliberate urith the intent of compelling any person to pay ransom or abstain from doing some act.
27 Admittedly, after the deceased went missing, he was found in the company of A-1, subsequently, the dead body was found in the flat leased out to A-1 and there was ransom call made to P.W.1, pursuant to which, amount was deposited. All the ingredients of Section 364-A of IPC are made out.
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One Fair Copy to the Hon'ble Sri Justice K. Surender (For His Lordship's kind Perusal) AND
One Fair Copy to the Hon'ble Sri Justice E.V. Venugopal (For His Lordship's kind Perusal)
To,
I I I I I i I I I I I i !
'/
HIGH COURT
\ DATED:1310312025 \
COMMON JUDGMENT CRLA.Nos. 1 21 9, 1256, 1258, 1444 0F 2017 AND s46 0F 2020
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DISMISSING THE CRLA.No.1444 ot 2017 AND
ALLOWING THE CRLA.Nos . 1219, 1256, 1258, oF 2017 AND 546 0F 2020
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4 provisions across 3 enactments
Konda Raju
The State of Telangana
Akuleni Indira
State of Telangana, Rep. by Public Prosecutor, High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad
Guduri Raju
Kondapaka Sridhar @ Shekar @ Madhu @ Gopi @ Chinna
K. Surender
E.V. Venugopal
As recorded by the court registry
Judgements on the same questions, provisions and authorities, from every court