In 2021 Ramya murder case, death penalty for accused in 'historic' fast-track verdict

A fast-track sessions court in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district issued a death sentence to a convict on Friday in the 2021 murder case. Named Kunchala Sasikrishna, the convict was found guilty of stabbing 20-year-old engineering student Nallapu Ramya to death on August 15 last year.

Calling the verdict 'historic', Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy welcomed the court's decision and congratulated the Police Department for making sure that justice prevailed. "I welcome the historic verdict given by the fast track court in the Ramya murder case. Congratulations to the Police Department for expeditiously completing the investigation into this case and working hard to bring the accused to book", he tweeted.

Moreover, in his statement over the verdict of the Guntur Fast Track Sessions Court, CM Reddy hailed the 'Disha' spirit of the police and Public Prosecutor. CM Reddy stated that this case has set an example of his government's commitment to women's safety and security, adding that the court's decision sends a clear message to those committing crimes against women.

Following the court's verdict, K. Arif Hafeez, Guntur Urban SP, said, "It is a case of murder against a girl who belongs to a weaker section. So initially, when the report reached the police, all the PCR officers, myself included visited the scene at the hospital and gathered with the family members". Further detailing the fast-tracked case, Hafeez said that "the trial which started on December 31, 2021, has ended in a time-span of just four months". 

CM Jagan's Disha Act yields fast-track results

Chief Minister Jagan's Disha Act has yielded results in this case as a chargesheet was filed within just seven days of the incident and the Guntur murder case has reached completion in just four months. Owing to the Disha initiative, the DNA reports required in such cases were submitted by forensic teams in just two days instead of the normal two months. 

The origin of the act stemmed from the brutal rape and murder of a 26-year-old veterinarian in the state, following which, an outrage swept the entire Nation. In the aftermath of the incident, the CM Jagan-led government presented two bills-  Andhra Pradesh Disha Act - AP Special Courts for Specified Offences against Women and Children Act 2019, and AP Disha Act - Criminal Law (AP Amendment) Act 2019 before the state assembly. After being passed with a majority, the law now issues capital punishment to criminals for specified offenses against women within three weeks of the incident. Currently, under the present laws, the offender can be sentenced to life imprisonment or even given a death penalty depending on the severity of the crime.