Mon Mar 10 01:30:00 UTC 2025: ## Verdict Awaited in High-Profile Pranay Murder Case
**Hyderabad, March 10, 2024** – Five and a half years after the brutal murder of Pranay Kumar, the culmination of a high-profile honour killing case is set to unfold today with the delivery of the final verdict. The case, which shocked the Telugu states in 2018, involved the killing of Pranay, a young man from Nalgonda district, for marrying Amrutha, a woman from a different caste.
Amrutha’s father, Maruthi Rao, orchestrated Pranay’s murder, hiring a gang of assassins. Police investigations revealed that Rao, enraged by his daughter’s inter-caste marriage, planned and executed the crime. Following a complaint filed by Pranay’s father, Balaswami, police arrested Rao and seven others.
The investigation, led by then-Nalgonda Superintendent of Police AV Ranganath (currently Hyderabad’s Police Commissioner), was comprehensive, resulting in a 1600-page chargesheet filed on June 12, 2019. The chargesheet, along with post-mortem reports, technical evidence, and witness testimonies, formed the basis of the trial. The court reserved its judgment on March 10 after a protracted trial.
The main accused, Maruthi Rao, died by suicide in March 2020. The remaining accused include Subhash Sharma, Asghar Ali, Abdul Bari, M.A Karim, Thirunagaru Shravan Kumar, Shiva, and Nizam. Except for Sharma and Ali, the others were previously granted bail. Ali is also a key suspect in several other cases, including the assassination of former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya.
The verdict is highly anticipated, with the entire state watching closely. Police Commissioner Ranganath’s role in the investigation, including his preemptive counseling of both families, has been widely discussed. He notably warned Pranay’s family to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.
First Piper 