Notice Issued to IPS Officer in Andhra Dy Speaker's Custodial Torture Case
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Synopsis
The Andhra Pradesh Police have issued a notice to IPS officer Sunil Naik for questioning related to the alleged custodial torture case of Assembly Deputy Speaker K. Raghu Rama Krishna Raju, who claims he faced attempts on his life during police custody.
Key Takeaways
- IPS officer Sunil Naik questioned in Raju's case.
- Raju alleges police torture during custody.
- Complaint filed against former CM Jagan Mohan Reddy.
- FIR registered against multiple police officers.
- Raju was arrested for opposing the government.
Amaravati, March 2 (NationPress) The Andhra Pradesh Police have issued a notice to Bihar cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Sunil Naik for questioning regarding the alleged attempt on the life of the current Assembly Deputy Speaker K. Raghu Rama Krishna Raju.
The Superintendent of Police for Prakasam, A. R. Damodhar, who is leading the investigation, has sent a notice to Naik, who held the position of DIG, CID at the time Raju, then an MP, was arrested and purportedly tortured while in police custody.
Raju was arrested and reportedly tortured in police custody in 2021 during the tenure of the YSR Congress Party.
In the previous year, Raju filed a complaint against several police officers and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy regarding an alleged murder attempt during the rule of the YSR Congress Party.
Naik, an IPS officer from Bihar, was assigned to Andhra Pradesh on a deputation and appointed DIG, CID in 2019. He returned to Bihar in 2023 and is currently serving as the DIG of Fire Services in that state.
The SP of Prakasam district is expected to interrogate Naik concerning his involvement in the case. He was allegedly one of the officers present when Raju was brought to the CID office in Guntur following his arrest in Hyderabad.
In July 2024, law enforcement registered an FIR against Jagan Mohan Reddy, two IPS officers, and others based on a complaint by Raju, who claimed there was an attempt on his life while in police custody.
The FIR included accusations against then CID chief P. V. Sunil Kumar, the then Intelligence chief Seetharamanjaneyulu, the then Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, the then Additional SP R. Vijaya Paul, and then Superintendent of Government General Hospital Guntur, Dr. Prabhavati, among others.
Raju was elected to the Lok Sabha on a YSR Congress Party ticket from Narsapuram in 2019, but he later became a rebel.
He was arrested on May 14, 2021, at his residence in Hyderabad for criticizing the government and allegedly inciting communal unrest in the state.
Raju stated that despite recovering from cardiac surgery, he was neither medically assessed nor presented before a court in Hyderabad. He claimed that he was forcibly taken to Guntur that same night, physically pulled into a police vehicle.
He alleged that he was confined in the CB-CID office and that there was a lethal attempt on his life during police custody. Raju claimed that Sunil Kumar, Seetharamanjeyulu, and others assaulted him with a rubber belt and lathi, denying him medication.
The complainant asserted that despite being aware of his recent bypass surgery, certain individuals applied pressure to his chest, attempting to kill him.
Last month, the Andhra Pradesh High Court rejected the bail petition of K. Tulasi Babu, an accused in the case.
Tulasi Babu, a leader of the YSR Congress Party, was apprehended on January 7 and subjected to multiple rounds of questioning, including sessions with Vijay Paul.
