Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday granted interim protection from arrest to Bihar cadre IPS officer Sunil Naik, presently serving as Inspector General of Police (IGP), in connection with the alleged custodial torture case involving Deputy Speaker K Raghu Ramakrishna Raju.
While extending relief, Justice Venkata Jyothirmayee Prathapa directed the officer to appear before the investigating officer on or before March 5 and to continue appearing daily until further orders. The matter has been posted for further hearing on March 9.
Case Background
The case stems from a complaint lodged by Deputy Speaker K Raghu Ramakrishna Raju, who alleged that he was subjected to custodial torture by Crime Investigation Department (CID) police with an intent to kill him.
Based on the complaint, Guntur police registered a case. At the time of the alleged incident, Sunil Naik was serving as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (APCID) while on deputation to the state during the previous government.
Recently, Andhra Pradesh police attempted to arrest him, but the effort failed after a local court in Patna rejected a transit warrant sought by AP police. Following this, Naik approached the High Court seeking anticipatory bail.
Arguments Before the Court
Appearing for Naik, senior counsel Parameswar argued that the case was politically motivated. He contended that the petitioner’s name was not mentioned in the FIR and that other senior officials in the department had not been arrested.
He further submitted that Naik’s involvement was limited to arresting Raju in connection with a case and shifting him from Hyderabad to Mangalagiri as part of official duties. According to him, witness statements only confirmed Naik’s presence at the time of the alleged incident but did not implicate him in custodial torture.
On the other hand, senior counsel Siddharth Luthra, representing the police, argued that the Patna magistrate rejected the transit warrant due to procedural lapses in the arrest process. He stated that Naik had given an undertaking before the Bihar High Court to cooperate with the investigation but did not disclose this in his anticipatory bail petition, terming it suppression of facts.
Luthra further argued that custodial interrogation of Naik was necessary to ascertain who was present during the alleged incident and who was responsible for the torture. He also pointed out that the Guntur court had earlier rejected Naik’s anticipatory bail plea, citing non-cooperation with the investigation.
Court’s Observations and Directions
After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Jyothirmayee observed that there is no requirement to include the names of all accused persons at the FIR stage.
Granting interim protection from arrest, the court directed Naik to appear before the investigating officer on or before March 5 and to continue appearing daily until further orders. The case will be taken up again on March 9.
The proceedings mark a significant development in the high-profile custodial torture case, with the High Court balancing interim relief with the need for cooperation in the ongoing investigation.
