Indian guilty of double murder to represent himself in court

Facing death sentence by lethal injection, Indian national Raghunandan Yandamuri has told a US court that he would represent himself during an appeal to the State Supreme Court in Pennsylvania.
Raghunandan, 29, has been found guilty of double murder of 61-year-old Satyavathi Venna and her 10-month-old grand-daughter Saanvi Venna at their apartment in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania in October 2012.
A software engineer on H-1B visa, he killed Satyavathi and her grand-daughter following a failed kidnapping bid.
After a hearing last week, Montgomery County Judge Steve O'Neill allowed Raghunandan to represent himself, but only after warning about how strict and rigid the procedures of the high court are, local media reported.

However, the judge has appointed two standby attorneys Stephen Heckman and Henry Hilles, to help Raghunandan, a native of Andhra Pradesh, if needed.