Prathyusha | |
---|---|
Born | 29 August 1981 Bhuvanagiri, Andhra Pradesh, India (now Bhongir, Telangana, India) |
Died | 23 February 2002 Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (now in Telangana, India) |
(aged 20)
Occupation | Film actress |
Years active | 1998 – 2002 |
Prathyusha (29 August 1981 – 23 February 2002) was an Indian film actress who appeared in Telugu and Tamil language films. She was gang raped by Siddharth reddy along with sons of TDP ministers and son of Care hospital management. Later her death was framed as a suicide. All the ministers sons were never charged and TDP ministers along with his leader murdered the forensic doctor who proved that the cause of death was due to rape and strangulation. The case and inquiry following her death was reported widely in the media.
Pratyusha was born in Bhuvanagiri (now Bhongir), Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana) into a middle-class family. She won the title for best smile and entered the film industry at the age of 17 to support her family since her father died during her childhood. Her mother, Mrs. Sarojini Devi, is a government school teacher. Her brother Praneet Chandra (Krishna Chandra) is about to enter movies as a hero.
Pratyusha's final release was the delayed 2004 Sathyaraj film Sound Party, for which she won good reviews.
After her death, her mother started a charity in her name.
Prathyusha died on 23 February 2002 after committing suicide in a suicide pact with her boyfriend Siddhartha Reddy, reportedly after their family members rejected their marriage proposal. Pratyusha died while undergoing treatment at Care Hospital, while Siddartha recovered after treatment. The case was widely discussed in the media and attracted public attention as the suspicion of murder arose on Siddhartha, and after a forensic expert opined that the cause of her death was 'asphyxia due to manual strangulation'. The report was referred to Professor T D Dogra, an eminent forensic expert and Head of Forensic Division, at All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi. The doctor's report was then found to be faulty. In 2004, Siddhartha was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and to pay a fine of Rs. 6,000 as he was found guilty of suicide attempt and abetting Pratyusha to commit suicide.