Tadepalli (Andhra Pradesh) [India], September 24 (ANI): YSRCP State General Secretary and former Additional Advocate General Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy said the Supreme Court’s intervention in the Sai Krishna custodial death case was a major setback to the coalition government and a severe indictment of the functioning of the State police machinery.
Addressing the media at the YSRCP Central Office along with Legal Cell State President Manohar Reddy and Working President Sudarshan Reddy, he said the Supreme Court expressed serious concern over the conduct of senior police officers and reportedly questioned, “Is the AP DGP sleeping?”
Sudhakar Reddy said Sai Krishna was brought from Markapuram by the Task Force in May on the pretext of executing a non-bailable warrant and was later subjected to custodial torture. He said Sai Krishna’s mother approached the DGP and Police Commissioner on May 28, but no effective action followed. Even during the Habeas Corpus proceedings, the police continued to show Sai Krishna as missing. He said the police machinery moved only after Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy visited the victim’s family on June 18 and stood by them, following which the case was registered.
He said YSRCP approached the courts after the investigation was confined to CI Nagaraju and a few lower-level personnel while the role of senior officers remained untouched. The Supreme Court, hearing MP Maddila Gurumoorthy’s petition, directed that records of the connected High Court proceedings be sent to it in a sealed cover and posted the matter for October 12.
Manohar Reddy said crucial CCTV footage from Krishnalanka Police Station, the Central Command Room and the DGP’s office had disappeared. Sudarshan Reddy said the police system, which should protect citizens, had itself failed Sai Krishna. The YSRCP Legal Cell said it would continue its legal battle until responsibility is fixed on every person involved in Sai Krishna’s death, the disappearance of his body and destruction of evidence. (ANI)
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