Rebel MP of the ruling YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh Kanumuru Raghu Ramakrishna Raju on Saturday issued a legal notice to Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) Additional Director General P V Sunil Kumar for "illegally keeping his mobile phone" and allegedly sending inappropriate messages to several people, including a former IAS officer. The issue came to light when former IAS officer P V Ramesh, who earlier served as Additional Chief Secretary to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, tweeted that he and his family members have been receiving messages from the number purported to be of the MP.
Responding immediately, Raju said his mobile phone was unofficially seized by the CID on the day of his arrest on May 14. "Still it is with them. I have issued a legal notice to return it. Four days back blocked the SIM and obtained a new one," the MP said, adding that appropriate legal action would be initiated against Sunil Kumar and others if they misused the phone in violation of laws. Raju, who was released on bail by the Supreme Court upon his arrest in a sedition case, said he did not send any messages to anyone from May 14 to June 1.
The notice has demanded that the articles seized from Raghu Ramakrishna Raju at the time of his arrest by the AP CID, be deposited with the magistrate.It claimed that the CID police personnel had taken a mobile phone from the Narsapur Lok Sabha MP's residence when he was being arrested, but did not mention in the records. Stating that the seized mobile phone contains valuable information, his lawyer alleged that Raghu Ramakrishna Raju was subjected to custodial torture in effort to make him divulge the phone unlock code. Stating that the missing phone is required to conduct his official duties, the Parliament member threatened to file civil and criminal charges if the phone is not returned to him. The legal notice was handed to the SHO at Mangalagiri CID office.
The AP CID had arrested the rebel YSRCP MP from his residence in Hyderabad, on May 14, and transferred him to Guntur for interrogation. He was accused of indulging in systematic, schematic effort, through his speeches, to cause tensions among the communities and by attacking various government dignitaries in a way that will cause loss of faith in the government which they represent. The MP claimed he was subjected to torture during his custody.The Supreme Court had subsequently granted him conditional bail.
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