Sai Krishna custodial death: What happened and why is the Andhra government in the dock?

The story so far: Gade Sai Krishna (25), who allegedly had a criminal past, went “missing” after he was arrested by Markapuram Police Commissioner NTR’s Krishnalanka police in May. A habeas corpus petition filed by Sai Krishna’s mother Vijaya Lakshmi in the Supreme Court more than three weeks after the youth’s disappearance brought the issue to light and the sequence of events that unfolded was nothing short of a crime thriller.

A circle inspector of Krishnalanka police station was arrested on June 23 for allegedly torturing Sai Krishna in custody leading to his death and for allegedly disposing of the body in a desperate bid to destroy evidence of the crime. What followed was the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and a political lazy fest that brought a lot of bad name to the police machinery as well as the state government.

How did Sai Krishna get lost after being taken into police custody?

A team of police from Krishnalanka police station along with NTR district task force personnel picked up Sai Krishna from Markapuram in May. He was taken to the Krishnalanka police station where circle inspector SSVV Nagaraju allegedly brutally tortured him for several days in the name of questioning him in connection with old cases.

Sai Krishna’s mother, Vijaya Lakshmi, went around the police station but was denied access to meet her son. On June 2, Vijaya Lakshmi filed a habeas corpus petition and the court directed the police to produce the youth by June 15. As the police failed to do so, the court subsequently ordered them to produce Sai Krishna on June 29.

Why did the case become a political point?

The issue, which the police had reportedly managed to keep under wraps, suddenly gained momentum when the opposition YSR Congress party raised its voice in support of Vijay Lakshmi and targeted the police and the NDA government. The opposition party alleged that the “Red Book” constitution, promoted and implemented by IT Minister Nara Lokesh, had led to lawlessness, police patronage and bad governance in the state.

YSRCP President and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy personally visited Vijaya Lakshmi at her home in Vijayawada and consoled her. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who led his party’s attack, demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigate the alleged custodial torture and disposal of Sai Krishna’s body. Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that the suspension of the circle inspector was an eyewash and pointed his guns at Police Commissioner SV Rajasekhar Babu and Director General of Police (DGP) Harish Kumar Gupta for allegedly shielding the accused police officer.

How did the Andhra government respond to the allegations?

To rectify this, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu invited Vijaya Lakshmi to his Undavalli camp office and assured her of a fair and impartial investigation into the alleged custodial death of her son and action against the guilty police officials. Expressing satisfaction over the government’s response, Vijaya Lakshmi, after meeting the chief minister, also asked political parties not to politicize the issue further and thus provide some relief to the government.

What action was taken against the police officers?

Meanwhile, the police have registered a case of murder and illegal imprisonment against Inspector Nagaraju, who fled after facing the heat. The SIT, formed by the state government and headed by Inspector General of Police (IGP) M. Ravi Prakash, with Superintendents of Police Adnan Nayeem Asmi and Amit Bardar and Additional SP L. Sudhakar as members, swung into action. The team visited the police station and the SIT office, collected evidence and recorded the statements of police officers and other police officers.

Special teams nabbed the ‘absconding’ police official four days after the case was registered from Ajit Singh Nagar in Vijayawada. Some action followed, with locals and ‘supporters’ of the circle inspector protesting against the arrest of the official, who they claimed was carrying out his duties sincerely.

What has the SIT investigation revealed so far?

The SIT probing the custodial death reportedly found that the Krishnalanka police had tried to create an impression that Sai Krishna had escaped from police custody and fled to Goa. According to the SIT police, Sai Krishna gave the mobile phone to the gym trainer and sent him to Goa in an apparent attempt to support the story. The SIT probe also reportedly found that attempts were made to tamper with CCTV footage to destroy evidence.

Employees of a nearby crematorium were also asked about the disposal of an unknown or unidentified body by the police or other persons.

The SIT also arrested a registered medical practitioner (RMP) who treated Sai Krishna for serious injuries while he was allegedly in jail. It was also reported that Sai Krishna was taken to the hospital by the Krishnalanka police, but his condition did not improve even after he was given medicine there.

What is the twist in the story?

While there was no clear indication of the whereabouts of Sai Krishna, his body or the place where it might have been disposed of, Vijaya Lakshmi filed a petition in the court on July 14 seeking withdrawal of the suit she had filed. However, the court expressed serious displeasure with the plea and pointed out several inconsistencies in the motion to withdraw. The High Court subsequently asked for an explanation of the reasons for the withdrawal.

Published – 18 Jul 2026 11:04 IST