Accused CI taken into custody by SIT in Sai Krishna missing case

Vijayawada: The special investigation team (SIT) probing the Gade Sai Krishna custodial torture and missing case took former Krishna Lanka circle inspector Nagaraju into custody on Tuesday and subjected him to intense questioning.

The suspended cop is facing allegations of torturing rowdy sheeter Sai Krishna while he was in police custody before his mysterious disappearance from the police station.Members of the SIT arrived at Nagaraju's residence in Ajit Singh Nagar area of Vijayawada on Tuesday morning and questioned him for some time. He was then taken in a special vehicle to the SIT office located at the city armed reserve (CAR) grounds on Bandar Road for further interrogation.The development sparked dramatic scenes outside Nagaraju's residence. A large number of his supporters gathered in the area and attempted to obstruct the SIT team's movement. As officials transported Nagaraju to the interrogation centre, supporters reportedly created hurdles and prevented the vehicle from moving smoothly for nearly five kilometres.Police personnel faced a tough time in dispersing the crowd and clearing the route.

After nearly one-and-a-half hours of effort, officials managed to shift Nagaraju to the SIT office, where questioning continued late into the day. Police are likely to confirm his arrest and produce him before a magistrate.Sai Krishna was arrested on May 9 in connection with a non-bailable warrant (NBW) case at Markapuram. He was subsequently brought to Vijayawada by task force personnel and handed over to Krishna Lanka police. However, Sai Krishna later went missing, triggering allegations of custodial torture. The investigators are examining Nagaraju's role in the alleged illegal detention and torture of Sai Krishna, as well as the sequence of events leading up to his disappearance.

SIT is also verifying the documentary evidence related to the case.