New Delhi: The Supreme Court has raised serious questions over the handling of the alleged custodial death of 25-year-old Gade Sai Krishna in Vijayawada, including the delay in registering an FIR, missing CCTV footage and the failure to trace his body.
A three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Augustine George Masih and Sandeep Mehta has stayed related proceedings before the Andhra Pradesh High Court and directed that relevant case records be submitted in a sealed cover. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on October 12.
The court questioned why Sai Krishna was allegedly not produced before a magistrate after being taken into custody and sought clarification on the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. It also questioned the handling of CCTV footage from the police station and whether the investigation had adequately examined the role of senior police officials.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has been added as a respondent in the connected proceedings. The Supreme Court has also issued notices to the Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police, Vijayawada Police Commissioner and an Assistant Commissioner of Police.
What happened to Sai Krishna?
According to earlier court records, Sai Krishna was allegedly apprehended by Task Force personnel at Markapur in the early hours of May 6 and brought to Krishna Lanka Police Station in Vijayawada later that morning.
A Supreme Court judgment in a related proceeding records the prosecution's allegation that he was not produced before a magistrate and that witnesses saw him at the police station with visible injuries.
The Andhra Pradesh government subsequently constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate his disappearance and alleged custodial death.
The SIT has since filed a chargesheet. Reports based on the investigation state that Sai Krishna allegedly died after being severely beaten and that his body was subsequently taken to a crematorium and cremated. These findings are part of the ongoing criminal proceedings and remain subject to judicial scrutiny.
Supreme Court seeks records
The Supreme Court's intervention followed proceedings before the Andhra Pradesh High Court concerning petitions seeking an independent investigation into the case.
The apex court questioned the delay in registering an FIR despite a complaint concerning Sai Krishna's disappearance and raised concerns about the apparent loss of CCTV footage and the investigation of senior officers. The state government acknowledged procedural lapses and delays during the proceedings.
The High Court proceedings related to the matter have been stayed while the Supreme Court examines the case. The apex court has sought relevant records in a sealed cover and will consider the matter further at its next hearing.
Political reaction
The Supreme Court's observations have also triggered renewed criticism from the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) of the Andhra Pradesh government led by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
Former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has demanded accountability from senior police officials and called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Sai Krishna's death and the disappearance of his body.
The allegations made by political leaders are separate from the judicial findings. The Supreme Court is currently examining the handling of the case and has not issued a final finding on responsibility for Sai Krishna's death.
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