Chandrababu Naidu assures justice in Andhra custody death case
Synopsis
A 26-year-old picked up for questioning on 9 May has not been seen since — and Andhra Pradesh's High Court has twice ordered police to produce him. With CM Naidu suspending the accused Circle Inspector and a senior IPS officer now leading the probe, the case has become a flashpoint for police accountability in the state.
Key Takeaways
Gade Sai Krishna , 26, of Krishna Lanka, Vijayawada , was detained by police on 9 May and has not been seen since.
His mother Vijaya Lakshmi alleges he was tortured and beaten to death in custody.
Chandrababu Naidu met the family on 19 June in Amaravati and assured an impartial investigation.
Circle Inspector Nagaraju of Krishna Lanka police station has been suspended; a case registered under BNS Sections 127(4), 127(6), 103(1), and 238 .
The High Court has directed police to produce Sai Krishna by 29 June .
Jagan Mohan Reddy has demanded a CBI probe into the case.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday, 19 June met the family of Gade Sai Krishna, a 26-year-old Vijayawada resident who allegedly died in police custody after being picked up for questioning on 9 May, and promised an impartial investigation into the case. The meeting, held in Amaravati, came amid mounting political pressure and a High Court directive ordering police to produce Sai Krishna before the bench.
What the Chief Minister Said
Naidu consoled Sai Krishna's mother, Vijaya Lakshmi, and assured her that the guilty would not be spared. He told the family he had already ordered a probe and suspended Circle Inspector Nagaraju of the Krishna Lanka police station. Vijaya Lakshmi expressed satisfaction over the assurance, saying she was confident justice would be delivered.
The Investigation So Far
On 17 June, Naidu ordered a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer to lead the inquiry. East Godavari district Superintendent of Police D. Narasimha Kishore, tasked with heading the investigation, arrived in Vijayawada and recorded statements from Vijaya Lakshmi and two other family members. A case has been registered against the suspended Circle Inspector under Sections 127(4), 127(6), 103(1), and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on charges of wrongful confinement, murder, and causing disappearance of evidence.
High Court's Directive
Vijaya Lakshmi had earlier filed a Habeas Corpus petition in the High Court, which directed the Krishna Lanka police to produce Sai Krishna on 15 June. When police failed to comply, the court extended the deadline to 29 June. The inability of police to produce the youth has deepened suspicions about his fate.
Political Pressure and Opposition Demands
The family's meeting with Naidu came a day after former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) President Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy visited Vijayawada and met Vijaya Lakshmi. Reddy demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Sai Krishna's disappearance and alleged death in custody. The opposition's intervention has added urgency to the state government's response.
Background
Sai Krishna, a resident of Krishna Lanka in Vijayawada, was taken by police on 9 May for questioning and has not been seen since. His mother has alleged that he was tortured and beaten to death while in custody — a claim that authorities have not confirmed or denied as investigations continue. This case has drawn attention to accountability gaps in police detention procedures in Andhra Pradesh.
With the High Court deadline of 29 June approaching and a senior IPS officer now leading the probe, the coming days are likely to prove critical in determining what happened to Gade Sai Krishna.
Point of View
And the state's response is reactive rather than systemic. The suspension of the Circle Inspector and the IPS-led probe are necessary steps, but they come only after a High Court intervention and opposition pressure — not proactive oversight. Andhra Pradesh, like most Indian states, lacks an independent custody monitoring mechanism; this case illustrates precisely why that gap is dangerous. The 29 June court deadline will test whether the investigation is genuine or merely optics designed to manage political fallout.
NationPress
4 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Gade Sai Krishna and what happened to him?
Gade Sai Krishna is a 26-year-old resident of Krishna Lanka in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, who was picked up by police on 9 May for questioning and has not been seen since. His mother alleges he was tortured and beaten to death in police custody, though authorities have not confirmed this as investigations are ongoing.
What action has the Andhra Pradesh government taken in the case?
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu ordered a probe by a senior IPS officer on 17 June and suspended Circle Inspector Nagaraju of Krishna Lanka police station. A case of wrongful confinement, murder, and causing disappearance of evidence has been registered against the suspended officer under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
What has the High Court directed in the Sai Krishna case?
The Andhra Pradesh High Court, acting on a Habeas Corpus petition filed by Sai Krishna's mother Vijaya Lakshmi, directed police to produce him by 15 June. When police failed to comply, the court extended the deadline to 29 June.
Why is the opposition demanding a CBI probe?
Former Chief Minister and YSRCP President Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who visited the family on 18 June, has demanded a CBI investigation, arguing that a state police-led inquiry cannot be impartial given that the accused are police officers themselves.
What charges have been filed against the suspended Circle Inspector?
A case has been registered against suspended Circle Inspector Nagaraju under Sections 127(4), 127(6), 103(1), and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), covering wrongful confinement, murder, and causing disappearance of evidence.
