Police are inspecting the burial ground, Krishnalanka station in the Sai Krishna case

Patamata Circle Inspector V Pavan Kishore and his team questioned the staff at the Swargpuri burial ground in Vijayawada on Saturday. | Photo credit: GN Rao

Amid rumors that 25-year-old Gade Sai Krishna was beaten to death in police custody and that his body was allegedly cremated to destroy evidence, police and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams visited the Krishnalanka police station and the local burial ground on Saturday as part of the ongoing investigation.

Sai Krishna was reportedly picked up by the Krishnalanka police on May 9 and has been missing ever since. Following this, his mother Gade Vijaya Lakshmi petitioned the Supreme Court to ask the police to deliver her son. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who reviewed the incident on June 18, ordered the authorities to suspend Circle Inspector Krishnalanka Nagaraja and register cases against him under relevant provisions of the Act.

As part of the investigation, Patamata Circle Inspector V. Pavan Kishore examined CCTV footage from cameras installed along the National Highway and service roads leading to the Swargapuri burial ground. He also inquired with the cemetery staff about the number of bodies, especially unidentified ones, cremated since May 23.

The police team was probing the maintenance of registers, cremation procedures, preservation of remains and the role of police and city corporation officials in handling unclaimed bodies.

“We have collected data about the arrival of bodies from various places and the unclaimed bodies cremated at the burial ground. A detailed investigation is underway,” said Mr. Pavan Kishore.

Later, the police took the cemetery employees into custody for questioning and confiscated their mobile phones.

Meanwhile, an investigation team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Daiva Prasad questioned constables, station writers, guard staff and other employees of Krishnalanka police station. Investigators sought details of when Sai Krishna was brought to the station, how long he was held, how he was treated in custody, the staff on duty during that period and those who assisted Mr Nagaraj during interrogation.

The team also examined the CCTV surveillance system at the police station and private cameras installed in the vicinity.

“We have seized mobile phones and records from the police station and the burial ground,” a police official told The Hindu on Saturday on condition of anonymity.

Published – 20 Jun 2026 21:26 IST