2026:APHC:18386 Date of reserved for Judgment :22.01.2026 Date of Pronouncement :12.03.2026 Date of uploading :12.03.2026 APHC010612692018 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI [3566]

(Special Original Jurisdiction)

THURSDAY,THE TWELFTH DAY OF MARCH TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE K SURESH REDDY THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE A. HARI HARANADHA SARMA CRIMINAL APPEAL NO: 2380/2018 Between:

1. B . VENKATA LAKSHMAMMA, R/O BHUPANAPADU VILLAGE PANYAM MANDAL, KURNOOL DISTRICT.

...APELLANT AND

1. T HE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, REP.BY ITS PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT AT HYDERABAD.

2. U LLI NAGANJANEYULU, JUNIOR ASSISTANT, REVENUE DIVISIONAL OFFICE, NANDYAL R/O 27/317, MOOLASAGARAM, NANDYAL KURNOOL DISTRICT.

3. U LLI NAGA LAXMAMMA, R/O 71 YEARS R/O 27/317 MOOLASAGARAM, NANDYAL, KURNOOL DISTRICT.

4. U LLI SUDHA RANI, R/O 27/317, MOOLASAGARAM, NANDYAL, KURNOOL DISTRICT.

...RESPODENT(S):

Counsel for the Apellant:

1. KOPPULA GOPAL Counsel for the Respodent(S): 1. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR (AP)

2. V NITESH The Court made the following:

2026:APHC:18386 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH :: AMARAVATI SPECIAL DIVISION BENCH PRESENT HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE K.SURESH REDDY And THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE A. HARI HARANADHA SARMA CRIMINAL APPEAL NO: 2380/2018 JUDGMENT: (per Justice A. Hari Haranadha Sharma The informant/de-facto complainant in crime No.206 of 2014 of Nandyal III Town Police Station, (P.W.1) in S.C.No.429 of 2015 filed the present appeal. 2. Respondent No.2 to 4 are the Accused Nos.1 to 3 and respondent No.1 is the State represented by its Public Prosecutor.

3. Questioning the acquittal of Accused Nos.1 to 3 for the offence under Section 498-A of Indian Penal Code (herein after referred as IPC) and the offence under Section 302 read with 34 of IPC under the judgment dated 02.07.2018, passed by the III Additional Sessions Judge, Kurnool at Nandyal, in S.C.No.429 of 2015, the present appeal is filed. 4. The State did not choose to file any appeal.

5. Case of the prosecution, in brief, is as follows:

(i) Accused No.1 is the son of Accused No.2. Accused No.3 is the first wife of Accused No.1 and one Mabbu Yellamma (herein after referred as deceased) is the 2^nd wife of Accused No.1.

(ii) In the year 2011, Accused No.1 and deceased fell in love. The family members of the deceased did not accept for the marriage. The deceased signed on stamp papers stating that she will not claim any interest in the properties, left the parental home and married Accused No.1 in the year 2012.

(iii) The deceased and Accused No.3 were living in a house bearing No.27/133 belonging to P.W.5 in Moolasagaram, Nandyal town. Accused Nos.1 to 3 used to harass the deceased physically and mentally asking her to get her share in her parental property. The deceased has shared her grievance i.e., the harassment of Accused Nos.1 to 3 with her sisters P.W.Nos.1 to 3 and L.W.4 and also with the relatives L.W.Nos.5 and 6. The deceased was assured by her sisters that the partition will be taken up soon.

(iv) On 10.11.2014, the deceased informed her elder sister - P.W.2 by name Boya Lakshmi Devi alias Ramulamma about the harassment. On 11.11.2014, P.W.Nos.7 to 9 and L.W.14 went to the house of the deceased and found Accused No.3 coming down from staircase in a confused state. Later they found main door was closed and heard screams from the house. They got opened the window and saw Accused No.2 holding the hands and legs of deceased tightly. Accused No.1 tied dish wire to the neck of the deceased and throttled her to death but it was projected as if the deceased committed suicide.

(v) On witnessing the episode, P.W.Nos.7 to 9 raised yells. Accused Nos.1 and 2 went away from the scene of offence throwing the crime weapon dish wire on the top of the house.

(vi) On information, P.W.1 and other relatives of the deceased rushed to the scene of offence and a report was given by P.W.1.

6. Case was registered for the offences under Section 498-A of IPC and 302 read with 34 of IP