Vijayawada custodial death: CBI takes over probe, begins questioning of cops

The CBI has taken over the investigation from the Andhra Pradesh police’s special investigation team into the alleged custodial death of Gade Sai Krishna. The change matters because the case now comes under a central agency after the state high court ordered an independent CBI probe.

The CBI’s Hyderabad unit registered a fresh FIR and sent eight officials to Krishnalanka police station. They examined the second floor, where Sai Krishna was reportedly held. The agency also took possession of the SIT’s records, witness statements, documents, remand reports, and other evidence. CFSL Hyderabad experts began collecting technical evidence.

The CBI is reviewing the SIT chargesheet while conducting its own investigation. It sought criminal-case and warrant details from the Crime Control Section and is expected to question Sai Krishna’s mother. The court also allowed searches of two accused persons’ residences. These steps may clarify what happened in custody and who was responsible.

A custodial death generally means that a person dies while detained by police or another authority. It requires special investigation because the person is under official control and cannot freely seek help, leave the place, or independently document what happened. The conduct of the detaining officials therefore becomes central to establishing the truth.

In this case, the SIT’s chargesheet said Sai Krishna was apprehended at about 3 am on May 6 and brought to Krishnalanka police station around 7 am. It said he was not produced before a magistrate. The SIT later alleged that police subjected him to custodial torture and beat him to death at an abandoned building on May 12.

The CBI is now examining the records, statements, physical evidence, and technical evidence. Its investigation matters because it can test the existing allegations independently. The high court also ordered proceedings against officials found responsible for custodial violence and directed compensation for Sai Krishna’s mother.

The state investigation team identified 13 people in its chargesheet as having roles in the case. This group included police personnel allegedly involved in Sai Krishna’s detention, interrogation, torture, killing, and the later handling of his body, according to the chargesheet described in the article.

The accused also included Gulivindala Suresh Kumar, described as a friend and close associate of suspended inspector SSVV Nagaraju. The SIT subsequently added three more individuals as accused during its investigation. The article does not provide the names or individual roles of all 13 people.

The chargesheet is now part of the material the CBI will examine. The central agency took possession of the SIT’s case records, witness statements, documents, and remand reports. It will independently investigate the allegations rather than simply rely on the state team’s findings. Searches of two accused persons’ homes were also authorised by the court.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court transferred the investigation to the CBI while hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Sai Krishna’s mother. The article does not state a separate detailed reason for the transfer, but it records the court’s directions concerning the alleged custodial death and the need for an immediate criminal investigation.

The court ordered the CBI director to register a regular criminal case and entrust it to a senior officer. It also ordered disciplinary proceedings against erring police personnel. Officials found responsible for custodial violence were to be proceeded against and prosecuted according to law. The court directed the government to pay ₹25 lakh compensation to Vijayalakshmi.

The CBI then registered a fresh FIR and took over the SIT’s records and evidence. It inspected Krishnalanka police station, began collecting technical evidence with CFSL experts, and reviewed the existing chargesheet. The transfer places the next stage of investigation under the central agency while preserving the earlier evidence.

If the CBI confirms custodial torture and an unlawful killing, police officials found responsible could face both departmental and criminal consequences. The high court specifically ordered disciplinary proceedings against erring personnel and prosecution of officials responsible for custodial violence in accordance with law.

The case already identifies serious allegations. The SIT’s chargesheet said Sai Krishna was tortured in custody and beaten to death by Krishnalanka police at an abandoned building on May 12. It also said his body was cremated that same night. The CBI is examining this material independently, along with technical evidence and witness statements.

The court has also directed the state government to pay ₹25 lakh compensation to Sai Krishna’s mother, Gade Vijayalakshmi, within four weeks. That payment is separate from any disciplinary or criminal action. The CBI’s findings will determine how the allegations develop, while the court’s directions establish the possible institutional and legal consequences.

A habeas corpus petition is a legal request asking a court to review a person’s detention and require authorities to bring that person before the court. The remedy is generally used when someone’s whereabouts or legal basis for detention is unclear. This explanation draws on established legal meaning; the article focuses on how it was used here.

Sai Krishna’s mother, Gade Vijayalakshmi, filed the petition before the Andhra Pradesh High Court on June 4. She sought directions requiring the authorities to produce her son before the court. The move followed the article’s account that Sai Krishna had been taken to Krishnalanka police station but that his whereabouts later became unknown.

The petition led to a high court hearing and, on October 16, an order for a CBI investigation into the alleged custodial death. The court also directed compensation and action against responsible officials. The petition therefore brought the unexplained detention and alleged death before judicial scrutiny.

Police generally must produce an arrested person before a magistrate promptly so a judge can review the arrest and continued detention. This established safeguard helps prevent people from being held secretly or indefinitely. It also gives the detained person an opportunity to challenge custody and report mistreatment. The article does not set out the specific legal time limit.

The SIT’s chargesheet said Sai Krishna was apprehended at Markapuram around 3 am on May 6 and brought to Krishnalanka police station around 7 am. It said he was not produced before a magistrate, after which his whereabouts became unknown. The chargesheet later alleged that he was tortured and beaten to death.

Judicial production creates a record of custody and places detention under court supervision. In this case, the reported failure to produce Sai Krishna became an important part of the allegations examined by the SIT and now by the CBI. The central agency is reviewing the chargesheet and collecting further evidence.