Andhra Pradesh High Court Postpones Hearing on PIL Demanding CBI Probe into Custodial Death

Amaravati, June 24: The Andhra Pradesh High Court has postponed the hearing on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the alleged custodial death of 25-year-old Gade Sai Krishna.

The PIL was filed following the disappearance of a young man who was taken into custody by the Krishna Lanka police in Vijayawada last month. The petition calls for a CBI investigation into the circumstances surrounding Sai Krishna’s death.

The Advocate General informed the division bench that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising senior officials has been formed to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.

The court was also informed that the state government is taking all necessary steps to ensure a smooth investigation. The Advocate General highlighted that the suspended Circle Inspector (Station House Officer) S.S.V.V. Nagaraju, who is accused in the case, has been arrested and will be presented before the court.

The division bench has postponed the hearing until July 6, stating they will observe the developments in the case.

On Tuesday, the SIT took Nagaraju into custody for questioning and subsequently arrested him. This arrest occurred just two days after the formation of the SIT, led by Inspector General (Law and Order) M. Ravi Prakash.

The SIT includes West Godavari Superintendent of Police Adnan Naeem Asmi and Alluri Sitaramaraju SP Amit Bardar, with Additional SP L. Sudhakar from Bapatla district serving as the investigating officer. The team is investigating allegations against the suspended SHO, including wrongful detention, murder, and destruction of evidence.

A case was registered on June 19 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on a complaint from Sai Krishna’s mother, Vijaya Lakshmi. She alleged that her son was tortured in custody and beaten to death.

According to her, Sai Krishna was taken into custody on May 9 for questioning in a case. She claimed that he was illegally detained and subjected to custodial torture at the police station.

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