Amaravati, March 2
The Andhra Pradesh Police have served notice to Bihar cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Sunil Naik for questioning in the case relating to the alleged attempt on the life of present Assembly Deputy Speaker K. Raghu Rama Krishna Raju.
Prakasam's Superintendent of Police A. R. Damodhar, who is the investigating officer, has sent notice to Naik, who was serving as DIG, CID when Raju, then an MP, was arrested and allegedly tortured in police custody.
Raju was arrested and allegedly tortured in police custody in 2021 when the YSR Congress Party was in power.
Last year, Raju lodged a complaint against some police officers and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for the alleged attempt to murder during YSR Congress Party rule.
Naik, who is an IPS officer of Bihar cadre, had come to Andhra Pradesh on deputation and was appointed DIG, CID in 2019. In 2023, he was sent back to Bihar and is currently serving as the DIG, Fire Services in that state.
The Prakasam district SP is likely to question Naik about his role in the case. He was allegedly one of the officers present when Raju was brought to the CID office in Guntur after his arrest from Hyderabad.
In July 2024, police registered an FIR against Jagan Mohan Reddy, two IPS officers, and others on a complaint by Raju, who alleged that there was an attempt on his life during police custody.
Police registered the FIR against then CID chief P. V. Sunil Kumar, then Intelligence chief Seetharamanjaneyulu, then Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, then Additional SP R. Vijaya Paul, then Superintendent of Government General Hospital Guntur, Dr Prabhavati and others.
Raju was elected to Lok Sabha on a YSR Congress Party ticket from Narsapuram in 2019 but he later turned a rebel.
He was arrested on May 14, 2021, from his residence in Hyderabad for speaking against the government and allegedly instigating communal unrest in the state.
Raju said though he was recuperating after cardiac surgery, he was neither medically examined nor produced before a court in Hyderabad. He alleged that he was bullied, physically pulled inside a police vehicle and forcibly taken to Guntur the same night.
He alleged that he was kept in the CB-CID office and there was an attempt on his life during the police custody. He alleged that Sunil Kumar, Seetharamanjeyulu and others beat him with a rubber belt and lathi and did not allow him to take medicines.
The complainant said despite knowing pretty well that he had undergone bypass surgery, some persons sat on his chest and applied pressure, thereby attempting to kill him.
Last month, the Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissed the bail petition of K. Tulasi Babu, an accused in the case.
Tulasi Babu, a leader of the YSR Congress Party, was arrested on January 7 and he was questioned multiple times. He was also interrogated along with Vijay Paul.
