Andhra Pradesh police inspector arrested over alleged custodial death of Gade Sai Krishna

Author: Hareesh P

The Story So Far

Gade Sai Krishna (25), who allegedly had a criminal history, went missing after being picked up by the Krishnalanka police of the NTR Police Commissionerate from Markapuram in May. A habeas corpus petition filed by Sai Krishna’s mother, Vijaya Lakshmi, in the High Court more than three weeks after his disappearance brought the case to light. The events that followed have been described as no less than a crime thriller.

The Circle Inspector of the Krishnalanka police station was arrested on June 23 for alleged custodial torture leading to Sai Krishna’s death, and for allegedly disposing of the body in an attempt to destroy evidence. The formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and a political slugfest followed, bringing disrepute to the police machinery and the State government.

How Did Sai Krishna Go Missing After Being Taken Into Police Custody?

• A team from the Krishnalanka police station, along with personnel from the NTR district Task Force, picked up Sai Krishna from Markapuram in May.
• He was brought to the Krishnalanka police station, where Circle Inspector S.S.V.V. Nagaraju allegedly brutally tortured him for several days while questioning him about old cases.
• Sai Krishna’s mother, Vijaya Lakshmi, repeatedly visited the police station but was denied access to her son.
• On June 2, Vijaya Lakshmi filed a habeas corpus petition. The court directed the police to produce the youngster by June 15.
• When the police failed to comply, the court ordered them to produce Sai Krishna on June 29.

Why Did the Case Become a Political Flashpoint?

The case, which the police had allegedly managed to keep under wraps, gained momentum when the Opposition YSR Congress Party raised its voice in support of Vijaya Lakshmi and targeted the police and the NDA government.

• The Opposition argued that the "Red Book" Constitution — advocated and implemented by IT Minister Nara Lokesh — had led to lawlessness, police high-handedness, and bad governance in the State.
• YSRCP president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy personally visited Vijaya Lakshmi at her home in Vijayawada to console her.
• Jagan Mohan Reddy demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged custodial torture and disposal of Sai Krishna’s body.
• He called the suspension of the Circle Inspector an "eyewash" and criticized the Commissioner of Police, S.V. Rajasekhara Babu, and the Director General of Police (DGP), Harish Kumar Gupta, for allegedly shielding the accused officer.

Related Coverage:

• The politics around Andhra Pradesh’s custodial deaths
• SIT grills suspended CI Nagaraju in Sai Krishna case
• Police investigation stalled in Sai Krishna’s custodial death case
• Head constables Nani and Ashok surrender in ‘custodial death’ case