Home / Crime and Justice / Teacher Award Winner Hid Life Sentence for 40 Years
Teacher Award Winner Hid Life Sentence for 40 Years
26 Aug
Summary
- A murder convict evaded prison for over four decades.
- He served as a government teacher and received a best teacher award.
- The Telangana High Court ordered his return to prison.
A man convicted of murder in the late 1970s and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1983 has been ordered back to prison by the Telangana High Court after evading authorities for over four decades. Sandela Veeranna, now in his late 70s, was released on parole six months into his sentence and never returned.
Veeranna was apprehended in May 2024 and lodged in Cherlapally central prison. During his time outside prison, he secured a government teaching position and was even honored with a best teacher award in 2004, retiring in 2013. The High Court expressed strong disapproval of his conduct, stating his government employment was obtained through deception.
Veeranna's wife petitioned for his release on medical and compassionate grounds, citing his deteriorating health and lack of caregivers. However, the court dismissed her plea, noting that he had been issued a show-cause notice regarding his parole violation. The court also reprimanded prison authorities for failing to track him for over 40 years, directing them to establish better systems for monitoring parolees.
