Legs Tied, Body Burned: Family Says Man, 25, Killed By Cop In Police Custody

A 25-year-old man was taken into custody in the first week of May. A month later he allegedly went missing. The man's family alleges custodial torture, death and secret cremation by a police officer. The man has been identified as Gade Sai Krishna. The main accused is a 53-year-old Circle Inspector Suda Suresh Veera Venkata (SSVV) Nagaraju, who has been arrested and suspended from the job.

According to the family, Sai Krishna has been missing since May 9. His mother, Gade Vijaya Lakshmi, alleged that he was picked up by Krishnalanka police from Markapuram and never returned.

As per the First Information Report (FIR) and remand report, Sai Krishna and his mobile phone were officially handed over to the Inspector on May 6. But instead of being produced before a magistrate within 24 hours of being arrested, he was allegedly kept in illegal custody inside the police station. The report also refers to witness statements indicating that he was seen at the police station during the period under investigation.

Sai Krishna had pending non-bailable warrants against him in two past cases, as per the remand report.

Lakshmi alleged that when she went to the police station in search of her son, she was threatened and denied information. She claimed to have seen her son in an unconscious state inside the lock-up. His legs were tied, Lakshmi said, adding she heard him cry.

She later filed a habeas corpus petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court, seeking directions to produce her son in court. The High Court on June 19 asked the police to trace Sai Krishna and present him before the bench.

During the hearing, Sai Krishna's lawyer said he may have died due to custodial torture and alleged that the police were trying to hide the facts.

Special Investigation Team Probes "Custodial Death"

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by IGP (Law & Order) M Ravi Prakash has been investigating the case. The preliminary investigation suspects Sai Krishna was illegally confined, tortured in custody and died between May 6 and May 8.

According to the remand report, the body was secretly burned, buried, or otherwise disposed of to destroy evidence and protect those responsible. The body is yet to be traced.

Forensic examination found no CCTV footage in the police station's DVR system between May 1 and June 1, the period covering the alleged illegal detention.

Investigators suspect that evidence was destroyed following Sai Krishna's death.

Demand For CBI Probe

The case drew widespread attention after Sai Krishna's family met Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, following which the state government constituted an SIT to investigate the allegations.

Meanwhile, YSR Congress Party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has demanded a CBI probe into the alleged custodial death. He accused senior police officials of being involved in a cover-up and said suspending one officer was not enough.

The opposition believes such an incident could not have taken place without any help.

YSRCP leader Perni Nani has levelled serious allegations on the probe, stating that neither call data was recovered for either the circle inspector or other officials nor their electronic devices were collected.

''The Vijayawada Commissioner and his deputy were not questioned. CCTV footage of the surrounding areas was also not taken," said former Minister and YSRCP leader Perni Nani and registered that only the CBI investigation can reveal the whole sequence and find out those behind the custodial killing.