The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Director General of Police (DGP), the Chief Secretary and the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) to submit reports on the alleged custodial death of Gade Sai Krishna.

Acting on a complaint, the NHRC took cognisance of allegations of wrongful confinement, custodial torture, murder and destruction of evidence, as well as media reports on the incident. It directed DGP Harish Kumar Gupta and Chief Secretary G. Sai Prasad to submit a comprehensive report within a week.

“If the allegations are true, the incident raises a serious issue of blatant violation of human rights and a brutal assault on the fundamental rights to life and personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution,” the Commission observed.

The NHRC said the alleged police action reflected a gross abuse of authority and a complete betrayal of the trust reposed in law enforcement agencies, turning protectors into perpetrators.

The Commission sought details on the status of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe, the FIR registered against the accused police personnel, and the identities of officers allegedly involved in the illegal detention, torture, death and subsequent disposal of Sai Krishna’s body.

The DGP has also been asked to furnish the status of departmental and criminal proceedings against suspended Krishnalanka Circle Inspector S.S.V.V. Nagaraju and other police personnel involved. The report should also detail efforts to recover CCTV footage from the Krishnalanka police station and trace the victim’s mortal remains.

The NHRC further directed the authorities to specify the measures taken to ensure the safety of the victim’s mother, Gade Vijaya Lakshmi, and provide details of any interim compensation or relief extended to the deceased’s next of kin.

Meanwhile, the SIT, headed by IGP M. Ravi Prakash, has reportedly deputed teams to Hyderabad and Bengaluru to arrest Krishnalanka police station head constables J. Nani and Ashok. They are alleged to have assisted suspended Circle Inspector Nagaraju in shifting Sai Krishna’s body and destroying evidence.

The investigation team has also launched a search for Suresh, a friend of Nagaraju, who is allegedly connected with the case.

YSRCP stages protest

Leaders of the YSR Congress Party, meanwhile, demanded the resignation of Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, holding her responsible for the alleged custodial torture, murder and destruction of evidence in the case.

Addressing a protest at Dharna Chowk in Vijayawada on Saturday, former MLA Malladi Vishnu alleged that the SIT had been constituted to cover up the incident. He demanded that the investigation be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a fair and transparent probe.