SIT detains inspector’s aide in Andhra custodial death case

THe Special investigating team up ( sit around) of the Andhra Pradesh police force probing the alleged tutelary death of 25-year-old Gade Sai Krishna at Krishna Lanka police station in Vijayawada detained a close associate of arrested police inspector S S V V Nagaraju on suspicion of playing a key role in disposing of the victim’s body after the incident, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday.A senior police official familiar with the investigation said the SIT took Suresh, a close friend of Nagaraju, into custody on Friday night. Suresh is believed to have played a key role in shifting Sai Krishna’s body from the police station and cremating it at a burial ground, the official said.“The authorities are presently questioning Suresh to establish the sequence of events that unfolded immediately after the alleged lockup death. After obtaining all the leads in the case, the police will formally arrest him and produce him before the local court,” the official said.Preliminary findings suggest that Suresh extended support to CI Nagaraju following the custodial death. Investigators are also examining the nature of Suresh’s involvement in police affairs and his relationship with the absconding officer.The SIT is further probing allegations that Suresh acted as an intermediary between the police and Sai Krishna’s family after the incident and is seeking to determine the extent of his role in the case.Investigators have also identified two head constables — Jangam Nani and Ashok — who have been absconding since the case was registered on June 19.“Special police teams have been dispatched to Hyderabad and Bengaluru in search of the two absconding police personnel,” the official said.The SIT has already served notices at the residences of the two head constables, directing them to appear before the investigation team for questioning. Efforts to trace and apprehend both officers are underway.Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh high court on Saturday admitted a petition filed by Sai Krishna’s mother, Gade Vijayalakshmi, seeking transfer of the investigation from the state police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or any other independent agency the court considers appropriate, people familiar with the matter said.She also requested that the investigation be conducted under the direct supervision of the high court to ensure transparency and impartiality.A division bench comprising Justices Ravi Nath Tilhari and Subhendu Samanta posted the matter for hearing next week.In her petition, Vijayalakshmi contended that a fair investigation by the local police was impossible, citing the SIT remand report, which allegedly states that personnel from Krishna Lanka police station and the Task Force were involved in Sai Krishna’s disappearance and the destruction of evidence.She alleged that attempts were being made to shield senior police officials and questioned why NTR district police commissioner SV Rajasekhara Babu remained silent for 40 days.