Less than a year since 20-year-old Nalla Ramyasri, a third-year BTech student, was stabbed to death in broad daylight in Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, the accused, Kunchala Sasikrishna, was awarded a death sentence. On April 29, Friday, the Guntur Fast Track Sessions Court found Sasikrishna guilty of murder and sentenced him to death. Ramya’s murder case had turned sensational and received wide attention as it was caught on CCTV and bystanders were seen frozen in disbelief even as he stabbed her several times. Leaders of the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had strongly criticised the ruling YSRCP government for failing to ensure women’s safety at the time.
Sasikrishna killed Ramya around 10 am on August 15, 2021, and was nabbed by the police around 8 pm the same day from an agricultural field where he was hiding. Police said they were able to track him despite his phone being switched off. He was identified based on CCTV footage and the description provided by eyewitnesses. Sasikrishna was arrested and booked under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Section 3(2) of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Police said he had met Ramya on social media two months earlier and had been harassing her since then. On August 15, the CCTV footage showed them talking for a while on the street, before Sasikrishna suddenly attacked Ramya. He was seen stabbing her multiple times. He reportedly threatened people watching him not to come closer to him and escaped. Ramya sustained six injuries on her throat and stomach. A few bystanders shifted her to the Guntur Government General Hospital where doctors declared her dead.
The case was investigated by the Disha police, established to fast track investigation in cases of crimes against women. The state government had given Rs 10 lakh compensation to Ramya’s family after the incident.