High Court rejects bail plea of honour killing accused

HYDERABAD: Justice Kanneganti Lalitha of Telangana High Court on Thursday dismissed bail applications of two accused in an honour killing case near Hyderabad that occurred last year. Hemanth Kumar was kidnapped and murdered allegedly by the family members of his wife for marrying her against their wishes.

Hemant and his wife Avanti were kidnapped from their house in TNGO colony in Gachibowli on September 26, 2020. Hemant Kumar was later killed.

Police had arrested 12 persons and sent them to jail. Two of them Yellu Santosh Reddy and Kaila Sandeep Reddy approached the High Court for bail. Counsel for the petitioners submitted that the accused are family members of the complainant and had gone to her house to settle the matter as she had married out of her caste.

But their names were also intruded as accused and they were arrested, they said.

T. Swetcha, counsel for de-facto complainant, Avanthi said that all the accused had forced their way into her house and abducted them. Subsequently, they also threatened Hemant Kumar’s mother. Assistant public prosecutor Sudharshan pointed out that a fast-track court had been constituted and a trial was to begin later this month and as such the accused were not entitled for bail.

Observing that the release of the accused could result in influencing witnesses and tampering with the trial, the court dismissed the bail application.