Serial rapist and killer Umesh Reddy (40) is the most heinous psychopath to have ever stalked Karnataka.
Serial rapist and killer Umesh Reddy (40) is the most heinous psychopath to have ever stalked Karnataka.
Transvestite Reddy carefully chose his targets and targeted lonely women. After identifying his quarry, he attacked them in their houses. He raped them and ensured that there was no trail left by ensuring that they met a gory end.When fleeing from the scene of crime, he never forgot to take away his victim’s undergarments.
Reddy is believed to have raped at least 20 women across the state. He allegedly committed burglaries and was once caught stealing women’s undergarments.
On Wednesday, the High Court of Karnataka confirmed the death sentence awarded to him by a local court in a case pertaining to the rape and murder of 37-year-old housewife Jayashree Maradi Subbaiah in Peenya police limits on February 28, 1998.
In all, Reddy faced 21 cases. He was convicted in nine cases and acquitted in 11 cases, while one case is still pending in Hiriyur.
And till recently it appeared that nothing could rein in Reddy. He escaped at least four times from judicial and police custodies. And on the run, he raped and murdered women with impunity.
He is alleged to have committed his heinous crimes in several other parts in the country. He has been convicted in two cases, one of them for an attempted rape, in Baroda, Gujarat.
Once when the police caught him, they recovered from him a bagful of women’s garments: 10 bras, 18 panties, six sarees, two nightgowns, eight trousers and four blouses.
Umesh Reddy alias Rajulu alias Ramesh alias Venkatesh (40), was born BV Umesh in Basappamalige of Hiriyur taluk in Chitradurga district.
After completing his pre-university course in 1995, Reddy joined the District Armed Reserve police in Chitradurga in 1996. He was sent to Madhya Pradesh for training.
In November 1996; Reddy attempted raping a girl at KEB Colony, Chitradurga. The girl later identified him by chance at a police parade, after which a case was registered against him. He was later dismissed from service.
In the same month, he allegedly raped and murdered Roopa, also from KEB Colony in Chitradurga.
In 1990s, the very mention of Umesh Reddy’s name sparked terror among people.
Several of his crimes have not come to light, as the victims never approached police fearing social stigma.
Reddy attacked women between 11 am and 3 pm, during which time there would be no men around.
He would gain entry into the victims’ houses on various pretexts like asking for water, address, etc. Once inside the house, he would threaten them at knife-point, make them remove their clothes and rape them after tying them up.
Reddy escaped for the first time when he was being shifted from Bellary jail in March 1997. He was later arrested on July 7, 1997 while attempting to steal women’s undergarments. But he escaped within 24 hours. He was picked up by Peenya police on February 28, 1998 while he was trying to escape after killing Jayashree.
But he soon escaped while being brought to court.Reddy was finally arrested on May 17, 2002 by Yeshwantpur police after he was spotted in a saloon.
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