Devi died of accident injuries: police
S. Bharath Simha Reddy, who was in the centre of controversy after his friend K. Devi Reddy died as the car he drove hit a tree, will be charged for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, the police announced on Sunday.
Downing the curtains on the mystery surrounding the death of Ms. Devi, whose family charged that she was murdered and raised suspicions of possible sexual assault, the police confirmed she died of injuries sustained in the car accident. “He took the responsibility of driving Devi home safely after attending party at Beats per Minute pub in the early hours of April 1. He was intoxicated having consumed liquor and drove rashly leading to her death,” Hyderabad Police Commissioner M. Mahender Reddy said at a press conference.
Bharath had no intention of killing Ms. Devi but he got behind the wheel after consuming liquor. While partying at the pub, he gulped whiskey, wine and vodka spending time with different friends. He was aware that driving in an inebriated condition and that too in rash and negligent manner would endanger life.
Since he drove the car at high speed and hit a tree resulting in her death, his action attracted section 304-II of Indian Penal Code (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). Section 304-A (rash and negligent act resulting in death), which was already invoked following Ms. Devi’s death, would be replaced by section 304-II, the Commissioner announced.
Speaking to media later, the victim’s father K. Niranjan Reddy, who initially charged his daughter was murdered and raised suspicion of possible sexual assault, remarked that he was satisfied with the police investigation.
