Judge Dr Khwaja Farooq Ahmed pronounced the ruling after hearing arguments for about 20 minutes from public prosecutor Datta Mudiganti, defence lawyer Zameer Khan and advocate Falguni Brahmbhatt, who is representing Pratyusha's parents.

Defence advocate Khan argued that the police had not been able to explain a delay in filing the FIR. 'The day after the death, the mother of the deceased made a statement giving a clean chit to the applicant (Singh). After a few days, she made a fresh complaint,' he said. Khan also argued that Pratyusha had been 'burdened with loans' and that earlier this year, when loan recovery agents came to her home to seize her car after she defaulted on payments, 'the applicant saved her and said that he would pay the loan.'.