Andhra HC adjourns PIL seeking CBI probe into Vijayawada custodial death case

The Andhra Pradesh High Court adjourned a PIL seeking a CBI probe into the alleged custodial death of a 25-year-old man in Vijayawada. The state informed the court that an SIT has been formed and the accused officer has been arrested

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing on a PIL seeking directions for a CBI probe into the alleged custodial death of 25-year-old Gade Sai Krishna.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the High Court seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the disappearance of the youth after he was picked up by Krishna Lanka police in Vijayawada last month.

---

The Advocate General informed the division bench that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising senior officials has been constituted for a comprehensive probe into the incident. The court was told that the state government is taking all steps to ensure a smooth investigation.

The AG also brought to the notice of the court that suspended Circle Inspector (Station House Officer) S.S.V.V. Nagaraju, the accused in the case, has been arrested and would be produced before the court.

“Let us wait and see,” remarked the division bench while adjourning the hearing to July 6.

The SIT on Tuesday took suspended SHO Nagaraju into custody for interrogation. He was later arrested.

The arrest came two days after the state government constituted the SIT headed by Inspector General (Law and Order) M. Ravi Prakash. The SIT comprises West Godavari Superintendent of Police Adnan Nayeem Asmi, Alluri Sitharama Raju SP Amit Bardar, and Bapatla district Additional SP L. Sudhakar as the investigating officer.

It is probing allegations of wrongful confinement, murder, and destruction of evidence against the suspended SHO.

A case was registered on June 19 under Sections 127(4), 127(6), 103(1) and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on a complaint by Sai Krishna’s mother Vijaya Lakshmi, who alleged that her son was tortured and beaten to death in custody.

According to her, police had picked up Sai Krishna on May 9 for questioning in a case. She alleged that he was illegally detained and subjected to custodial torture at the police station.

She also alleged that his body was cremated at the Swargapuri electric crematorium to destroy evidence.

She filed a habeas corpus petition in the High Court, which directed the Krishna Lanka police to produce the victim before it on June 15. As the police could not produce Sai Krishna, the High Court directed them to produce him by June 29.