Thaindian News

Hyderabad, June 22 (IANS) The husband of Petroleum Minister S. Jaipal Reddy’s niece Kiran Reddy was Wednesday arrested on charges of murdering her. A court sent him to judicial custody for two weeks.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Stephen Ravindra told reporters that Chaitanya Reddy was taken into custody for killing his 26-year-old wife. The accused also attempted to wipe out the evidence.

The autopsy and circumstantial evidence established that Chaitanya Reddy killed Kiran on the night of June 17 at their house in Jubliee Hills after they returned from a restaurant.

Kiran and Chaitanya, both doctors, had a heated fight. Kiran took her husband to task for drinking heavily and misbehaving with the restaurant manager.

As Kiran went to sleep in another room, Chaitanya, in a fit of rage, smothered her and returned to his room, police said.

The next morning, realizing she was dead, “he wiped out the evidence and asked the family members to ensure that everything looks as if she died a natural death”, officer Ravindra said.

Chaitanya then called an ambulance and took her to Apollo Hospital.

Police registered a case of death under suspicious circumstances and sent the body for autopsy.

The next day, Kiran’s parents accused Chaitanya of murdering their daughter. The autopsy established that Kiran was smothered to death. She also had a head injury.

Chaitanya broke down when police took him into custody. His family alleged that police forced him to confess to a crime he had not committed.

A magistrate sent him to judicial custody for 14 days. Chaitanya told the court that police arrested him on June 18 and tortured him.

Married five years ago, the couple has a four-year-old daughter. Kiran Reddy was the daughter of Jaipal Reddy’s younger sister Bharati.