Union govt asks Andhra to act on rebel YSRCP MP’s complaints against CID chief

Rebel MP Raghu Ramakrishna Raju, who was arrested on sedition charges, has lodged multiple complaints against the CID chief with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Andhra Pradesh CID chief PV Sunil Kumar and rebel YSRCP MP Raghu Ramakrishna Raju
Andhra Pradesh CID chief PV Sunil Kumar and rebel YSRCP MP Raghu Ramakrishna Raju
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The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has responded to the complaints of rebel YSRCP MP Kanumuru Raghu Ramakrishna Raju against Andhra Pradesh CID chief PV Sunil Kumar, following the MP’s arrest by the state CID earlier in May. The Ministry has referred the complaints to the state government to take further action. In a letter to Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das, the MHA asked the official to take a decision in the matter and send the action taken report at the earliest, the Times of India reported. 

The state CID arrested the controversial Narasapuram MP Raghu Ramakrishna Raju in a sedition case on May 14. The case was registered by CID Additional DGP Sunil Kumar, stating there was information that the MP was indulging in hate speech and creating tension amidst certain communities, while attacking government officials. Raju, who had a fallout with the ruling YSRCP a few months ago, had been regularly appearing on Telugu news channels, speaking against his own party’s policies and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Raju had then alleged custodial torture by the CID police. A week after his arrest, Raju was granted conditional bail by the Supreme Court. 

In the first week of June, Raju lodged three complaints with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. In these complaints, he alleged that his mobile phone was unofficially seized by the CID at the time of his arrest and was neither returned to him, nor reflected in the seizure records. He claimed that he blocked the SIM card only in June, and alleged that in the meantime, Sunil Kumar had used his phone to send objectionable messages and to damage his reputation. The Andhra Pradesh CID denied the allegation, saying the seized phone was in the custody of the Andhra Pradesh Forensic Science Laboratory (APFSL)  since May 18 and was not accessed by CID officials. 

Raju’s subsequent complaints, however, went on to target an initiative by Sunil Kumar called Ambedkar’s India Mission, which promotes the ideas of BR Ambedkar on social justice. According to Eenadu, Raju’s complaints to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs included video clippings where Sunil Kumar was seen speaking against the ideas promoted by the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), and against Hindu texts like the Manusmriti. Raju in his complaints reportedly alleged that Sunil Kumar was creating separatist sentiments among members of Scheduled Castes through his speeches.  

Around the same time, a right-wing group based in Maharashtra called Legal Rights Observatory had also registered a similar complaint with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.  Following this complaint, several people on Twitter came forward to support the IPS officer, saying Sunil Kumar was being targeted because of his ideology, calling the complaint a conspiratorial attack. Telangana IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar, who himself had been recently targeted by Hindutva groups, and Andhra Pradesh IAS officer Gandham Chandrudu also expressed their support for the CID chief. 

The Ministry of Home Affairs has reportedly sent Raju’s complaints, as well as the video clippings, and asked the Chief Secretary to send the action taken report at the earliest. 

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