Gade Sai Krishna custodial death: Andhra Pradesh High Court directs CBI probe

A month after the Andhra Pradesh government-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) concluded that 25-year-old Gade Sai Krishna, a gig worker, died due to police torture, the High Court has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case.

A division bench of Justices Ravinath Tilhari and Alapati Giridhar on Friday, October 16, ordered that a compensation of Rs 25 lakh be paid to Sai Krishna’s mother, Gade Vijayalakshmi. The bench further directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to hand over the case files to the CBI and institute disciplinary proceedings against the police officers involved in the case.

In September, the SIT had filed a chargesheet concluding that Sai Krishna died due to police assault.

Krishnalanka Circle Inspector SSVV Nagaraju is the key accused in the case. Nagaraju had also allegedly directed his subordinates to conceal the death and later helped burn Sai Krishna’s body at a crematorium. The findings are part of the remand report submitted after the arrest of Gulivindala Suresh, the fourth accused in the case.

According to the report, Sai Krishna was tortured by Nagaraju, Head Constable Ashok, and Constable Nani on May 7. He was subsequently moved, on Nagaraju’s instructions, to an abandoned building at Ranigari Thota after sustaining serious injuries.

The report states that Sai Krishna told Suresh that the police were torturing him with the intention of killing him. He subsequently lost consciousness and died while speaking to Suresh, the SIT alleged.

The report says that around midnight on May 12, Nagaraju, Ashok, and Suresh wrapped the body in a blanket, transported it on a motorcycle, and took it to the Swargapuri crematorium in Vijayawada. The three allegedly remained there until the body was reduced to ashes. Suresh is also alleged to have returned to the crematorium on May 18 to check for any remaining traces.