Had No Contact With Father Since Pranay’s Death: Amrutha

Maruthi Rao, the main accused in the caste killing of Pranay Perumalla, was found dead in Hyderabad on Sunday.

Amrutha Varshini with her father Maruthi Rao, the prime accused in the murder case. 

(Photo: The News Minute)

Amrutha, the wife of caste killing victim Pranay Perumalla, told mediapersons on Sunday morning that she has had no contact with her father Maruthi Rao since Pranay’s murder. Maruthi Rao was found dead on Sunday, 8 March morning at the Arya Vysya Bhavan in Hyderabad. Maruthi Rao is the main accused in the caste killing of Pranay.

Local reporters gathered outside Pranay's house in Miryalaguda town as soon as news spread.

“I have not spoken to him or contacted him since Pranay’s death. We have no information at present. We are still doubtful about what exactly happened. We also heard the news of his death through the media only. We haven’t received any official information, so we can’t respond until then.”

Amrutha’s statement to the media

In 2018, Amrutha and Pranay had an inter-caste marriage. Maruthi Rao was alleged to have paid Rs 1 crore to a contract killer to have Pranay killed as he was opposed to the marriage. Amrutha belongs to the Vyshya community – a dominant caste – while Pranay was a Dalit man from the Mala community.

Pranay was hacked to death in broad daylight on 14 September 2018, when the couple were coming out of a hospital where they had gone for a routine check-up, as Amrutha was pregnant at the time. The horrific murder sparked anger across the state.

After the murder of her husband, Amrutha vowed never to go back to her parents and continued to live with her in-laws. In January last year, Amrutha delivered a baby boy.

In June last year, the police had filed a chargesheet against Rao, and seven others. The accused include Asghar Ali, his associate Mohammad Abdul Bari and Subash Sharma, the hired assassin from Bihar, Maruthi Rao's brother Sravan Kumar and his driver, Samudrala Shiva.

Maruthi Rao, who was out on bail, again came under the police scanner after the body of an unidentified man was found in a shed belonging to him in Miryalaguda on 29 February.

(The story was first published on The News Minute and has been republished in an arrangement.)