Andhra Pradesh High Court Refuses Bail to Accused in Raju Custodial Torture Case

Amaravati, Feb 14 (NationPress) The Andhra Pradesh High Court has rejected the bail plea of K. Tulasi Babu, who is implicated in the custodial torture case involving former MP and current Assembly Deputy Speaker K. Raghu Rama Krishna Raju.

The High Court had previously reserved its judgment on the bail request on February 11, and the decision was announced on Friday.

In 2021, Raju, then serving as an MP, was apprehended and reportedly subjected to torture while in police custody when the YSR Congress Party held power.

Following the rise of the TDP-led coalition, a case was filed against former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and others based on Raju's complaint.

Tulasi Babu, a member of the YSR Congress Party, was detained on January 7 and underwent extensive questioning, including joint interrogation with retired CID Additional SP K. Vijay Paul, another suspect.

During an identification parade conducted last month under the supervision of the Guntur District Judge, Raju identified Tulasi Babu from a group of five suspects.

While arguing against Tulasi Babu's bail application, the prosecution informed the court that CID officers and constables testified that four masked assailants invaded the CID office and assaulted Raju, with one of them restraining him.

Authorities suspect Tulasi Babu's direct participation in the attack, along with three other unidentified accomplices.

The court also learned that Tulasi Babu was not a qualified lawyer when he was assigned the role of CID legal assistant.

In July 2024, police initiated an FIR against Jagan Mohan Reddy, two Indian Police Service (IPS) officials, and others based on Raju's allegations of an assassination attempt during his police detention.

The FIR included charges against then-CID chief P. V. Sunil Kumar, then-Intelligence Chief Seetharamanjaneyulu, former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, then-Additional SP R. Vijaya Paul, and Dr. Prabhavati, then Superintendent of Government General Hospital in Guntur, among others.

Raghu Rama Krishna Raju was elected to the Lok Sabha on a YSR Congress Party ticket from Narsapuram in 2019 but later turned into a rebel.

He was taken into custody on May 14, 2021, at his Hyderabad residence for criticizing the government and allegedly inciting communal discord in the state.

Raju claimed that despite recovering from heart surgery, he was neither medically assessed nor presented before a court in Hyderabad. He alleged that he was forcibly taken to Guntur that very night.

He asserted that he was held at the CB CID office, where there was an attempt on his life during police custody. He alleged that Sunil Kumar, Seetharamanjaneyulu, and others assaulted him with a rubber belt and a baton while denying him medication.

Raju stated that despite knowledge of his recent bypass surgery, certain individuals applied pressure on his chest, constituting an attempt on his life.