Husband’s arrest cracks Jaipal Reddy niece’s murder

“The postmortem report and scientific evidence have come to the conclusion that the death was due to smothering and asphyxiation. Based on the various evidences that we had gathered,we have come to the conclusion that Kiran Reddy’s husband Chaitanya Reddy had smothered her and committed her murder,” DCP (West Zone) M Stephen Raveendra told reporters on Wednesday. The Reddys are a doctor couple.

The Jubilee Hills police had initially registered a case of suspicious death and later altered it to murder,after the victim’s father Raghottam Reddy suspected foul play by her husband (Chaitanya Reddy) and his other family members.

On Tuesday,police questioned Chaitanya,his parents and other family members in connection with Kiran’s death. They said they were sure that it was an unnatural death,but were waiting till the causes of the death were established in a scientific way.

After the autopsy report came out,police arrested Chaitanya,who was remanded to judicial custody on Wednesday afternoon.

Chaitanya alleged that the police had resorted to “third-degree” methods and had forced him to confess to the murder on the way to the court.

Kiran Reddy’s mother Bharathi,is the elder sister of Jaipal Reddy,the Union Minister for Petroleum. Kiran,a private dermatologist,was married to Chaitanya,a doctor,five years ago and they had a four-year-old daughter.

Giving details,the DCP said the day before the incident,the couple had attended a party given by the victim’s brother Sunil. “On that particular night,Kiran Reddy and Chaitanya consumed alcohol at the party. The accused was high on alcohol. He also picked up a quarrel with the manager of the restaurant,” Stephen said.

“This (quarrel with the manager) was objected to by Kiran. On her way home,Kiran told Chaitanya that she did not like it. After reaching home at around 1.15 am,Kiran slept in another room. However,the accused followed her and asked her to come back to his room,though she refused.”

“After this,heated arguments ensued between the couple and in a fit of anger Chaitanya pushed her and smothered her to death,” the senior police officer explained.

“Chaitanya later went back to his room and it was only in the morning that he realised that Kiran had indeed died and being a doctor,he knew that Kiran had died but tried to cover it as a natural death saying Kiran was found unconscious on her cot and later shifted her to a nearby hospital,” Stephen said.

“It seems Chaitanya didn’t intend to kill Kiran. But,he being a doctor,tried to cover up the murder and it did took us some time to solve the case,” the DCP said when asked why it took so long to resolve the case.