Sadhik Khan, founder and coach of Pro Shooting Academy, was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by a court in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, on Monday, 24 August, on charges of murder and abetment to suicide. Khan, who had been arrested in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, four days earlier, was produced before the court after questioning and subsequently shifted to Kakinada Sub-Jail.

The Godavari Bridge Tragedy

The case stems from a harrowing incident on 16 August, when K. Nooka Raju (61), an Assistant Engineer at the Panchayat Raj Department in Pithapuram mandal of Kakinada district, along with his wife Meena (58), daughter Sowjanya (38), and 10-year-old grandson Karthikya Reddy, jumped into the Godavari river from the Road-cum-Rail bridge in Rajamahendravaram. Fisherfolk rescued the unconscious boy from an island in the river. The bodies of Raju, his wife, and daughter were subsequently retrieved.

What the Suicide Note Alleged

A suicide note, reportedly left by Raju in the car, alleged that Khan had been harassing Sowjanya following the death of her husband, Jagdish Reddy. According to the note, Khan had threatened to eliminate Raju and his grandson when they rejected his proposal, and had also taken their valuables. Raju wrote that the family chose to end their lives as they could not bear the alleged atrocities against his daughter. Based on the grandson's statement and the suicide letter, a case was registered against Khan under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for abetment of suicide.

Murder Allegation and Additional Complaints

Sowjanya's father-in-law, Bhaskar Reddy, subsequently lodged a separate complaint alleging Khan's involvement in his son Jagdish Reddy's death. He claimed Jagdish died on 2 July after a poisonous substance was allegedly injected into him. Bhaskar Reddy said new information emerged after conversations with his grandson, who had been enrolled at Khan's rifle shooting academy. He alleged Khan had begun visiting their home after Jagdish's death and attempted to grow closer to Sowjanya. On his complaint, a case was registered at Sarpavaram police station in Kakinada. Police also note that Khan additionally faces allegations of forceful conversion and extortion.

Five-State Chase and Arrest

Kakinada Superintendent of Police G. Bindu Madhav told reporters that Khan was arrested following a chase spanning five states, conducted by more than 10 police teams from Kakinada and East Godavari. According to the SP, Khan deliberately avoided phone use and online transactions to evade detection. He was ultimately traced to an acquaintance's house in Meerut through a combination of technical evidence and human intelligence, produced before a magistrate, and brought to Andhra Pradesh on a transit warrant.

Cases Registered

Police have registered FIRs based on the suicide notes of Nooka Raju and Sowjanya, as well as Bhaskar Reddy's complaint. A case of murder, forceful conversion, and extortion has been registered against Khan in Kakinada, while a separate case of abetment to suicide has been registered in Rajamahendravaram. According to the SP, Sowjanya was reportedly in a relationship with Khan for a period of time. Investigations are ongoing, and further developments are expected as police examine the full chain of events linking Khan to both deaths.