Hyderabad HC upholds life imprisonment to accused

HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Hyderabad High Court has upheld the order of a trial court which imposed life imprisonment against the accused C Ramappagari Soma Sekhar for brutally murdering a minor girl Anitha in 2007 for refusing his love.The bench comprising Justice Challa Kodanda Ram and Justice T Sunil Chowdary recently dismissed an appeal by Soma Sekhar against the order of Sixth Additional Sessions Judge, Gooty in Anantapur.

In November 2011, the police registered a case against 21-year old stalker Soma Sekhar for murdering 16-year old Anitha, an Intermediate first year student from Chagalla village in Anantapur district. He stabbed her with a knife multiple times after she refused to love him.

She succumbed to her injuries.Several women organisations demanded stringent action against the accused. After the police filed the charge-sheet, the lower court at Gooty which conducted the trial had sentenced him to life imprisonment in July 2011. Seeking relief, Soma Sekhar moved the High Court in 2012.

During the hearing, Andhra Pradesh state public prosecutor Posani Venkateswarlu while defending the trial court order, urged the division bench to treat the offences committed against women and minor girls as special ones to ensure justice to the victims. The trial court had convicted the appellant taking the gravity of the case into consideration.After hearing the case and perusing the material on record, the bench upheld the order of the lower court and dismissed the appeal.