Accused of raping and murdering 18 women and children, former cop Umesh Reddy’s decades-old saga of brutality close to an end

Taking serious note of his criminal record, the Karnataka high court on Wednesday rejected Umesh Reddy’s appeal for commuting the death penalty awarded to him to a life sentence after his mercy petition was rejected by the President in 2012

Bengaluru: He often gained access to his victims’ houses on the pretext of asking for water. His targets were mostly women, who he stalked for days before attacking.

Former cop Umesh Reddy is accused of raping and murdering at least 18 women and children.

This was the modus operandi adopted by Umesh Reddy, a man convicted in nine rape and murder cases. A former policeman, he is accused of raping and murdering at least 18 women and children.

Taking serious note of his criminal record, the Karnataka high court on Wednesday rejected Reddy’s appeal for commuting the death penalty awarded to him to a life sentence after his mercy petition was rejected by the President in 2012. While dismissing the plea, a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Pradeep Singh Yerur noted that the nature of the crimes did not merit any leniency.

According to officers who investigated him, he was a smart criminal, who not only planned his heinous crimes but also had tricks up his sleeves to escape police custody multiple times. BN Nyamagouda, the police inspector who arrested Reddy said he was a ruthless killer, who managed to escape the police at least five times.

He initially tried to rape a girl in the KEB Colony in Chitradurga, but the girl raised alarm. Just days later, he raped and murdered a woman in the same district. He was arrested for rape in 1997. But within two months he escaped from jail.

“Reddy escaped for the first time when he was being shifted from Bellary jail in March 1997. He was later arrested in July 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 another woman. But he managed to escape while being brought to court. It had become an embarrassment for the department,” added the officer.

His escapes proved fatal over the years as he got involved in the rape and murders of at least 18 women including five minors. “He entered their houses on the pretext of seeking drinking water or rooms for rent. He made sure the women were alone. He carried weapons that he used to threaten them. He used to tie them or chock them before committing rape. We have some cases where he had sex while the victims were unconscious or dead. He always took the inner clothing of the victims with him. He was a psychopath,” said the officer.

Reddy was finally arrested on May 17, 2002, by Yeshwantpur police after he was spotted in a saloon by an autorickshaw driver. In the trial that followed, the court made some powerful observations. In February 2009, while reading out the verdict, the judge ruled that the accused, being a habitual offender, the sentences of imprisonment imposed on him in several cases had no deterrent effect on him.

Justice Bannurmath in the verdict said: “It is evident that even after punishments in cases of robbery, dacoity, and rape, he has not reformed; no reformation can be expected from such a habitual offender and pervert criminal.”

“I do not understand why such a devil in man’s garb should be maintained by society by locking him up in jail for life. It is a known fact that whenever there is an opportunity, he has a tendency to run away from custody and commit new, heinous crimes.” “The accused, being a habitual offender, the sentences of imprisonment imposed on him in several cases had no deterrent effect on him,” he had observed.

According to officers who investigated the case, the conviction is a recognition of the thorough police investigation.