Vijayawada custodial death case: Suspended Inspector Nagaraju in 8-day police custody

A Vijayawada court has sent a suspended Circle Inspector S.S.V.V. Nagaraju, the prime accused in the custodial death of Gade Sai Krishna, to eight days of police custody. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) will interrogate him daily in Rajamahendravaram Jail under strict court-monitored conditions, including audio-video recording.

Vijayawada: A city court on Thursday sent suspended Circle Inspector S.S.V.V. Nagaraju, the main accused in Gade Sai Krishna’s custodial death case, to police custody for eight days.

The court directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to interrogate Nagaraju in Rajamahendravaram Jail, where he is under judicial custody. 

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The court allowed questioning of the accused from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day in the presence of his lawyer. It directed that the questioning be audio and video recorded. The court directed police to submit records after questioning the accused.

Sai Krishna (25) disappeared after he was picked up by the police on May 6. His family alleged that he was beaten to death in the lockup and his body was disposed of at an electric crematorium.

Sai Krishna, who had some cases and non-bailable warrants pending against him, was picked up at Markapuram and was shifted to Krishna Lanka police station. He was kept in illegal custody, and he subsequently disappeared.

The SIT, headed by Inspector General (Law and Order) M. Ravi Prakash, is probing the allegations of wrongful confinement, murder and causing the disappearance of evidence against the suspended Circle Inspector (SHO) of Krishna Lanka police station.

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.

The SIT arrested Nagaraju on June 23. The next day, a city court sent him to judicial remand till July 8. The SIT told the court that Sai Krishna died of the injuries inflicted on him in custody. The court was also told that the CCTV footage at the police station was deliberately deleted.

Intensifying its investigation, the SIT on Wednesday arrested constables Babu Rao and Sambaiah for their alleged role in destroying CCTV evidence. 

Babu Rao and Sambaiah, who are accused number five and six respectively, were produced before a Second ACM Court, which remanded them to judicial custody for 14 days. 

With their arrests, the total number of accused arrested in the case has gone up to five.

The SIT is reported to be questioning another accused, Suresh, said to be a friend of Nagaraju. Two head constables, Ashok and Nani, surrendered before police on Monday (June 29). They were also sent to judicial custody.