Sai Krishna case: SHO to be quizzed in police station

Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday granted permission to the SIT for questioning the suspended SHO of Krishna Lanka Police Station in police custody in the alleged custodial death of 25-year-old Gade Sai Krishna.

Pronouncing the orders on the petition of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), Justice Kuncham Maheswara Rao allowed the SIT to question S.S.V.V. Nagaraju for eight days from July 9.

The SIT had approached the High Court, seeking relaxation of the conditions imposed by a lower court while sending the accused to police custody.

Second Additional Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Vijayawada on July 2 granted police custody of Nagaraju until July 10. However, the court had given permission to SIT to question the accused in Rajamahendravaram Central Jail, where he was lodged.

The local court also ordered continuous audio and video recording of the entire interrogation process without interruption or editing. Further, the magistrate directed prison authorities to preserve all CCTV footage recorded during the custody period until further orders and prohibited any deletion, overwriting or tampering.

During the hearing on the SIT petition in the High Court, Public Prosecutor Menda Lakshminarayana argued that the conditions would hamper the investigation.

The prosecutor contended that investigators may need to collect physical evidence and reconstruct the crime scene based on information obtained during custodial interrogation.

Sai Krishna disappeared after he was picked up by the police on May 6. His family alleged that he was beaten to death in the lockup and his body was disposed of at an electric crematorium.

Sai Krishna, who had some cases and non-bailable warrants pending against him, was picked up at Markapuram and was shifted to Krishna Lanka police station. He was kept in illegal custody, and he subsequently disappeared.

The SIT, headed by Inspector General (Law and Order) M. Ravi Prakash, is probing the allegations of wrongful confinement, murder and causing the disappearance of evidence against the suspended Circle Inspector (SHO) of Krishna Lanka police station.

A case was registered on June 19 under sections 127 (4), 127 (6), 103 (1) and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on a complaint by Sai Krishna's mother, Vijaya Lakshmi, who alleged that her son was tortured and beaten to death in custody.

The SIT arrested Nagaraju on June 23. The next day, a city court sent him to judicial remand till July 8. The SIT told the court that Sai Krishna died of the injuries inflicted on him in custody. The court was also told that the CCTV footage at the police station was deliberately deleted.

The SIT has also arrested two head constables and two constables who allegedly assisted Nagaraju.