Siddhartha Reddy, convicted in the case relating to the death of Telugu actress Prathyusha, surrendered before Nampally court on Monday (March 16) after the Supreme Court upheld his two-year sentence and directed him to turn himself in within four weeks. He returned to India from the United States to comply with the court’s direction.

Prathyusha and Siddhartha Reddy had consumed a soft drink laced with poison and she died while undergoing treatment on February 24, 2002, while Siddhartha Reddy survived. The actress’s mother had pursued a prolonged legal battle after her daughter’s death, maintaining that it was a case of murder.

The trial court later convicted Siddhartha Reddy of abetting suicide and sentenced him to five years in prison. The sentence was subsequently reduced to two years by the High Court. The Supreme Court recently dismissed Reddy’s appeal against the conviction, effectively confirming the two year sentence and directing him to surrender.

According to the case records, Prathyusha and Siddhartha Reddy had been in a relationship since 1993 after meeting during their college days in Hyderabad.

While the actress’s mother eventually accepted their plans to marry, Siddhartha Reddy’s mother opposed the relationship and reportedly threatened suicide if the marriage went ahead, which became a major source of conflict between the families.

On February 23, 2002, Siddhartha Reddy picked up Prathyusha from a beauty parlour in Punjagutta. A few hours later, both were rushed to a private hospital in critical condition after consuming a poisoned soft drink. Prathyusha died the following day while undergoing treatment, while Siddhartha Reddy recovered and was discharged from the hospital on March 9.