The Birmingham Magistrates Court on Wednesday sentenced Andhra student Nagaraja Kumar Nalluri to life imprisonment for killing fellow Andhra student Jyothirmai Vempala on May 6 in the flat they shared in Handsworth. He must serve a minimum of 25 years before being considered for parole. The court found him guilty of murder and sexual assault.On May 6, 2008, 23-year-old Jyothirmai Vempala was found dead with severe head injuries. Birmingham Police found that Nagaraja had hit her in the head with dumbbells after a heated argument and then tried to have sex with her. He also used a knife to cut his wrists and neck and wrote ‘I love Jyothi’ in his blood on the wall before escaping from the scene.Nagaraja and Jyotirmai were childhood friends in Vijayawada where they studied together. Jyothirmayi was pursuing an MS degree in Health Sciences at the University of Wolverhampton. She had joined the course on a scholarship in September 2007 after completing a Bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy in Vijayawada. Nagaraja went to study in the same university a few months later.On May 6, neighbours had heard them arguing for some time. A few hours later Jyothirmai’s friend found her in a pool of blood. West Midlands Police arrested Nagaraja who had sustained injuries in the incident.Jyotirmai’s family—Jyothirmayi’s father Naga Saibaba, mother Nagaraja Kumari and younger sister Deepthi—were apparently unaware that she was living with Nagaraja until the incident.
