Mumbai: Esther Anuhya's father breaks down in court

Murdered techie Esther Anuhya's father, S J Prasad, broke down in court yesterday, when speaking about the time he was called to identify the body.

Tears rolled down his cheeks as he stood in the witness box, answered questions, and recalled the time just before his daughter's murder, while deposing in the case. He resumed speaking after drinking water. Prasad, who had come from Hyderabad, where he resides, testified before a special women's court in a Mumbai Sessions court yesterday.

He said, "Esther was working with TCS in Mumbai and had come to meet us. I went to see her off at the station when she left for Mumbai on January 4, 2014. The next day, I called her at 7 am 2-3 times, but she didn't reply. I tried at 11 am but there was still no reply. The phone was ringing but there was no answer."

He added, "On January 6, I went to Vijaywada police station and filed a missing person complaint, which was transferred to Kurla police station. On January 16, I got a call from police asking me to identify a body. I went to the spot at Bhandup and identified it. On March 3, I was called by the police to record my statement."

In his cross-examination by advocate Prakash Salsingikar, Esther's father told the court, "She used to hang around only with friends from her profession. She was a reserved girl. She never spoke to strangers."

Speaking to mid-day, he said, "I hope my daughter gets justice and the culprit is punished. We are hoping everything goes well."