On Wednesday, a court in Hyderabad sentenced a 36-year-old priest to life in prison for murdering an aspiring TV actress in June 2023. The court declared him guilty under the appropriate sections of the Indian Penal Code and also ordered him to pay a fine of ₹10 lakh.
According to news agency PTI, priest Venkat Surya Sai Krishna, also known as Sai Krishna, was already married when he tricked the victim, Kuruganti Apsara, into meeting him by promising to marry her.
The women wanted to marry Sai Krishna and she asked him out, she said that if he fails to marry her then she would expose him. The prosecution said that he became frustrated with her behaviour and decided to kill her.
Details of the Investigation
Sai Krishna was already married but made Apsara believe that he would marry her. Apsara, who was 30 years old, thought they had a special relationship. They met because Apsara’s mother often visited the temple where Sai Krishna worked as a priest. Their relationship began in early 2023.
On June 3, 2023, Sai Krishna picked up Apsara from her home in his car. He then killed her by smothering her with a cover and hitting her on the head with a stone.
After getting home to Saroornagar, Sai Krishna kept the car in his parking space for two days with the body in the trunk. He sprayed room fresheners every day to hide the smell. Later, he threw the body into a manhole near a government office close to his house. He covered it with sand and sealed it with cement, according to the police.
Sai Krishna (36), a temple priest, was allegedly responsible for the death. The woman, Apsara (30), was said to have been in a relationship with him for over a year.
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Incident from Saroornagar, A.P pic.twitter.com/5XPeEV2Lo5
Sai Krishna then brought two truckloads of red soil and covered the manhole. He also burned Apsara’s handbag and luggage to destroy any evidence. After that, he washed his car and parked it at his apartment. The next day, he went back to the spot and noticed a bad smell. He hired some workers to cover the manhole with concrete.
Later, Sai Krishna took Apsara’s mother to the police station and reported that her daughter was missing. However, the police found that his story didn’t match the CCTV footage.
He admitted to killing the woman during interrogation and was arrested, according to the Shamshabad police.
