Police investigation stalled in Sai Krishna’s custodial death case

Investigating officers arrive at the Krishnalanka police station as part of their investigation into the custodial death of Sai Krishna in June. | Photo credit: File photo

Two months after police took Gade Sai Krishna, 25, into custody, investigators are still in the dark about his illegal detention, torture, death and the search for his body.

On May 5, Task Force and Krishnalanka police of NTR Commissionerate took Sai Krishna into custody from Markapuram and brought him to Vijayawada. He was handed over to the Krishnalanka police the following day.

The victim’s mother, G. Vijaya Lakshmi, who reportedly went to the police station, witnessed the police torturing her son. She reportedly saw Sai Krishna crying in pain and urged him to be released.

“Krishlanka station house officer (SHO) SSVV Nagaraju asked me to prepare a garland to place in front of Sai Krishna’s photo, abused me and sent me out of the station,” Ms Vijaya Lakshmi alleged, adding that her son later went missing.

“After several visits to the police station, we lodged a complaint with NTR Commissioner of Police SV Rajashekar Babu. As there was no response, we filed a Habeas Corpus petition in the AP High Court, which directed the police to produce Sai Krishna by June 15, but they failed to do so,” the victim’s family members alleged.

On June 19, the Krishnalanka police registered a case against suspended circle inspector (CI) Nagaraj and other accused in the murder. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed on June 21 arrested the accused Nagaraja and four constables.

SIT grills officers, RMP, friends of accused

The SIT questioned Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Task Force K. Lath Kumari, Deputy Commissioner of Police South Zone K. Manasu, police personnel Krishnalanka, a Rural Medical Officer (RMP) who allegedly treated Sai Krishna at the police station and friends of the accused.

The SIT headed by IGP M. Ravi Prakash and his team visited the police station, verified the records, general diary and noted that Sai Krishna was handed over to the police station at 7 am on May 6.

The second additional trial court first class ordered the preservation of CCTV footage from May 1 to June 1, but the CCTV footage and hard drives were missing from the police station.

However, even two months after the incident, the SIT officers are still in the dark about the alleged custodial death and disappearance of Sai Krishna’s body. The investigators recorded the statements of the family members of the victim and the accused.

As the SIT sought the custody of the accused CI, the court granted Nagaraju eight days of police custody from July 3 to 10. Investigating officers seized the suspect material from the Krishnalanka police station and seized related documents.

Corroborating evidence

Meanwhile, the SIT officials are trying to corroborate the statements of the accused and Police Commissioner NTR and verify the seized materials and records seized from the police station.

Investigating officers were unclear as to why the Krishnalanka police allegedly used third degree methods on Sai Krishna instead of producing him in court as a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) was pending against him.

Ms. Vijaya Lakshmi strongly condemned the statement made by accused Nagaraj, who feigned ignorance about illegal detention, custodial torture, murder, disappearance of her son’s body and destruction of evidence in the case.

Published – 05 Jul 2026 21:04 IST