Vijayawada: In a significant development in the alleged custodial assault case involving former MP and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Speaker K Raghurama Krishna Raju, Bihar cadre IPS officer M Sunil Nayak (2005 batch) appeared before investigators for questioning on Thursday.
Nayak reached the CCS Police Station in Guntur, where he is being interrogated in connection with allegations that several officials attempted to murder Raghurama Krishna Raju while he was in CID custody during the previous YSR Congress Party government.
Officials said the questioning is scheduled to continue until 5 PM, and further interrogation may follow depending on the progress of the investigation.
Interrogation Being Conducted by Vizianagaram SP
The interrogation is being conducted by A R Damodar, Superintendent of Police of Vizianagaram, who has been appointed as the Investigating Officer (IO) in the case.
According to officials, the questioning focuses on Nayak’s alleged presence at the CID office during the time when Raghurama Krishna Raju was reportedly assaulted while in custody.
High Court Order to Cooperate With Investigation
Sunil Nayak’s appearance follows directions from the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which instructed him to cooperate with the investigation.
The court ordered the IPS officer to appear before investigators from March 5 to March 9 as part of the ongoing probe into the custodial assault allegations.
The directive came after Nayak approached the court seeking anticipatory bail in the case.
Background of the Case
The case dates back to May 2021, when Raghurama Krishna Raju, then Member of Parliament from Narasapuram, was arrested at his residence in Hyderabad.
He was subsequently taken to the CID regional office in Guntur, where he was reportedly kept in custody overnight.
Later allegations surfaced that he was subjected to custodial torture during this period.
Sunil Nayak Named as Accused
During the investigation, officials found that Sunil Nayak, who was serving as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of CID at that time, had visited the CID office multiple times during the night when the alleged incident took place.
Based on these findings, investigators named him as the seventh accused (A-7) in the case.
Earlier Attempts to Question Nayak
Authorities had issued several notices to Nayak earlier asking him to appear for questioning, but he did not comply.
He was later arrested in Patna, but the police could not bring him to Andhra Pradesh due to the absence of a transit warrant.
Subsequently, Nayak approached the court seeking anticipatory bail, after which the High Court directed him to appear before investigators, leading to Thursday’s questioning.
Raghurama Krishna Raju Reacts
Meanwhile, Raghurama Krishna Raju told the media at the Assembly that he had never attempted to contact Sunil Nayak or influence him.
He expressed hope that the ongoing investigation would bring out the truth and establish the facts related to the case.
