It's a day that Amrutha has looked forward to for many months. Her Facebook page has several posts on becoming a new mom, sharing tips with others on how to welcome a baby into the world. Despite the fact that she knows, better than anyone else, what a cruel world it can be.
Incidentally, Amrutha gave birth to a baby boy on her first wedding anniversary. However, her husband Pranay, is not around to share her happiness. On September 14 last year, he was brutally murdered allegedly on the orders of Amrutha's father, Maruthi Rao, in a caste killing that shook Telangana.
Pranay's father, Balaswamy, told TNM that it was a natural birth and that both mother and baby are healthy. Fearing attacks from Amrutha's relatives, Pranay's family has kept her location a secret.
"I fear for the safety of the baby and the mother. I want the police to provide protection to them. I will write to the Superintendent of Police requesting the same," Balaswamy said.
Still grieving his irreparable loss, Balaswamy added, "I am sad on this day. I wish my son was alive and could see his baby. He would have been so happy to see the baby. They would have led a peaceful life."
24-year-old Pranay Perumalla, a Dalit man from the Mala community, was hacked to death in broad daylight in Telangana's Miryalaguda, after he married Amrutha, who belongs to the upper caste Vyshya community. The murder was caught on tape.
Following wide outrage, the Nalgonda police arrested all the seven accused including prime accused, Maruthi Rao, after four days. Maruthi Rao and Amrutha were on talking terms before the incident, and during phone conversations, he would allegedly try and pressure his daughter to terminate the pregnancy.
According to the police investigation, Maruthi Rao, a realtor and businessman, struck a deal of Rs 1 crore to eliminate Pranay. Presently, all the accused are imprisoned in Warangal Central Jail under Preventive Detention Act. Nalgonda SP, AV Ranganath, told TNM that they would file a chargesheet against the accused in February after receiving the forensic report.