Andhra Pradesh High Court Adjourns Hearing on CBI Probe into Custodial Death Case

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has postponed the hearing on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) requesting a CBI investigation into the alleged custodial death of 25-year-old Gade Sai Krishna. The PIL seeks a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the disappearance of the youth after being taken by Krishna Lanka police in Vijayawada last month.
The court was informed by the Advocate General that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by senior officials has been formed to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. The state government is reportedly ensuring a smooth investigation process.
The suspended Circle Inspector (Station House Officer) S.S.V.V. Nagaraju, the accused in the case, has been arrested, as mentioned to the court by the AG. The accused police official is set to be presented before the court.
The division bench, upon adjourning the hearing to July 6, commented, “Let us wait and see.” The SIT recently took the suspended SHO Nagaraju into custody for questioning and subsequently arrested him.
The SIT, headed by Inspector General (Law and Order) M. Ravi Prakash, was established by the state government two days before the arrest. The team includes various senior police officials and is investigating allegations of wrongful confinement, murder, and tampering with evidence against the suspended SHO.
A case was filed on June 19 under specific sections of Bharat Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) based on a complaint by Sai Krishna’s mother, Vijaya Lakshmi. She accused the police of torturing and causing the death of her son while in custody. She also alleged that her son’s body was cremated to conceal evidence.
Vijaya Lakshmi filed a Habeas Corpus petition in the High Court, which instructed the Krishna Lanka police to produce the victim by a specified date after they failed to do so initially.