Hyderabad: A Cyberabad court sentenced an accused to life imprisonment in the Shamirpet murder case on Tuesday. The court held him guilty of killing a woman after she resisted sexual assault, police said.
The court convicted Magani Ramulu (40) in Crime No.117/2019 registered at Shamirpet Police Station. It found him guilty under Sections 302, 379 and 75 of the IPC. In addition to life imprisonment, the court imposed a fine of ₹1,000.
The case dates back to March 16, 2019. On that day, police found the body of an unidentified woman in a highly decomposed condition at the ORR plantation area near Upparpally Circle. Police initially registered a case under Section 174 of the CrPC and began an investigation to identify the victim.
Investigators later identified the deceased as Pallapu Lavanya, also known as Manjula (35). During the probe, police established that Ramulu attacked her with a boulder after she resisted his attempt to sexually assault her. He also stole her mobile phone after killing her.
Investigation led to conviction
Based on the evidence, police altered the case to Sections 302 and 379 of the IPC. They arrested the accused on February 12, 2021, and filed the charge sheet before the court.
After completing the trial, G. Bhanumathi, II Additional District and Sessions Judge of Medchal Malkajgiri district, convicted the accused and awarded life imprisonment.
Police said Ramulu was a habitual offender. In 2009, a Narsingi Police Station case had earlier convicted him in another murder. Authorities released him from prison in November 2018, just months before the Shamirpet murder.
