YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday visited the residence of Gade Sai Krishna in Krishnalanka here and met his mother, Gade Vijayalakshmi, amid continuing controversy over the alleged custodial death of the youth.

Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy consoled the grieving mother and interacted with the family members, assuring them of support in their pursuit of justice. The visit comes against the backdrop of allegations that Sai Krishna died while in police custody and that authorities attempted to conceal the circumstances surrounding his death.

Speaking to reporters later, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that complaints submitted by the victim’s family were ignored by authorities and claimed that attempts had been made to bring pressure on Sai Krishna’s mother. The family had been forced to approach the High Court through a habeas corpus petition after failing to receive satisfactory answers from the police, he said.

The former Chief Minister contended that the suspension of Circle Inspector Nagaraju was not sufficient and argued that the action itself amounted to an acknowledgement that serious wrongdoing had occurred. “The officer was linked to more than one death-related incident,” he said and questioned why stronger legal action had not been initiated against him.

Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy further alleged that senior police officials, including the City Police Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner of Police and the Director General of Police, should also be investigated in connection with the case. He described the incident as a grave violation of the rule of law and said it had occurred in the heart of Vijayawada.

Referring to another recent incident, he alleged that a person named Kranti Kumar had died by suicide after purportedly facing harassment from the same police officer, and claimed that there was a pattern of misconduct that required a thorough investigation.

He maintained that if Sai Krishna had committed any offence, it was for the courts to determine and punish under the law. Instead, he alleged, police personnel had taken the law into their own hands.

Demanding an impartial inquiry, the YSRCP chief reiterated his call for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged custodial death. He said only an independent investigation would establish the truth, identify those responsible and restore public confidence in the justice system.