The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday directed Bihar cadre IPS officer Sunil Kumar Naik to continue appearing before the Andhra Pradesh Police for questioning till March 12 in connection with the alleged custodial torture of former Member of Parliament K. Raghurama Krishna Raju.
The directive came while the court was hearing Naik’s anticipatory bail petition. The High Court allowed investigating officers additional time to question the officer and scheduled the next hearing of the bail plea for March 12.
Court Grants More Time for Police Interrogation
During the hearing, the investigating officer requested the High Court for more time to question the IPS officer regarding the allegations.
Accepting the request, the court directed Sunil Kumar Naik to appear before the investigating officer for questioning for three more days, until March 12. The bail petition will also be taken up for hearing on the same day.
Earlier, the High Court had directed Naik to appear before the police daily from March 5 to March 9.
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Fifth Day of Questioning Conducted
A police team led by A. R. Damodar, Superintendent of Police of Vizianagaram and the investigating officer in the case, has been questioning the IPS officer.
The interrogation sessions have been conducted every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Monday marking the fifth consecutive day of questioning.
According to reports, investigators have been questioning Naik primarily based on the statements made by former MP K. Raghurama Krishna Raju.
Case Linked to Alleged Custodial Torture of Former MP
The case relates to allegations made by Raghurama Krishna Raju, who claimed that he was subjected to custodial torture after his arrest in 2021.
At the time, Raju was a rebel MP from the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and had been arrested for allegedly making derogatory remarks against then Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Based on Raju’s complaint, the Andhra Pradesh Police registered a case last year against the former chief minister and three IPS officers, including Sunil Kumar Naik.
Sunil Naik’s Role During the Incident
At the time of the alleged incident, Sunil Kumar Naik was on deputation to Andhra Pradesh and was serving as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the Crime Investigation Department (CID).
Currently, the officer is serving as the Director of Bihar State Fire Services.
Meanwhile, Raghurama Krishna Raju is presently the Deputy Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
Arrest Attempt and Legal Developments
Earlier this year, the Andhra Pradesh Police attempted to arrest Naik after he allegedly failed to appear for questioning despite multiple notices.
Police arrested him in Patna on February 23, but a local court in Patna rejected the police request for a transit warrant.
Following this, the investigating agency approached a court in Guntur, which issued an arrest warrant against the IPS officer on February 26.
Subsequently, Naik approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking anticipatory bail.
While granting him interim protection, the High Court directed the officer to cooperate with the investigation and appear before the investigating officer.
Investigation Continues
With the High Court allowing further interrogation, investigators are expected to continue examining Naik’s role in the case over the coming days.
The matter is scheduled for its next hearing on March 12, when the court will consider developments in the investigation and decide on the anticipatory bail plea filed by the IPS officer.
