NEW DELHI, July 12: An attempt to murder case has been filed against former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, two India Police Service (IPS) officers and two others for allegedly torturing in the custody of a political leader, now a member of the state Assembly from the ruling Telegu Desam Party (TDP).
K Raghurama Krishna Raju, an MLA from Undi, filed the first information report with the police, alleging “plotting” a criminal “conspiracy” against him when he was arrested in May, 2021. The two IPS officers named in the alleged attempt to murder conspiracy are PV Sunil Kumar and PSR Seetharamanjaneyulu. Two more accused are retired police officer R Vijay Paul and former Guntur Government General Hospital superintendent G Prabhavathi.
The Nagarampalem police of Guntur district registered the case. “Following a complaint lodged by Mr Krishnam Raju, who is Undi MLA now, alleging that then Crime Investigation Department (CID) Director General, senior IPS officer, Seetharamanjaneyulu, CID Additional Superintendent of Police, R. Vijay Paul tortured him in custody, the police registered a case.” The police said.
Mr Raju alleged that the CID police arrested him in May 2021, in Hyderabad, brought him to CID office located in Guntur and used third degree on him. “The police officers tortured me in custody and did not follow the legal procedure. Then Government General Hospital (GGH), Guntur, Superintendent, Dr Prabhavathi gave false medical certificates,” the complainant alleged.
“The police officers beat me up severely in custody, did not allow medicines, took my mobile phone and tortured me to tell the password,” the then Narsapuram MP alleged. “Based on the complaint of the Undi MLA, we registered a case and took up investigation,” a senior police officer said.
“Raju sent his police complaint through mail one month ago and after taking legal opinion, I registered a case at 7 pm on Thursday against the former chief minister and others,” the police officer said. Mr Raju also alleged he was subjected to “custodial torture.” All the five accused in the case were charged under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as the allegations pointed to a case that happened three years ago.
Mr Raju, who was arrested in 2021 in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, alleged the former Chief Minister and the officials “plotted” a criminal “conspiracy” against him. “A false case was filed against me by the CB-CID of the Andhra Pradesh government. On May 14, 2021, I was arrested without due process, I was bullied, unlawfully physically pulled inside the police vehicle, and forcibly taken to Guntur the same night,” Mr Raju alleged in the police complaint.
When Mr Raju was arrested, Mr Kumar was heading the CID, Mr Seetharamanjaneyulu, the intelligence wing, Mr Paul was assistant superintendent of police CID and Mr Reddy was the Chief Minister. The MLA said though he had undergone an open heart surgery “some weeks” before his arrest, he was abused. Also, he alleged there were threats to kill him for “criticising the chief minister (Jagan).”
“I was arrested without due process, including the absence of a medical examination or adherence to proper legal procedures… I was kept in the CB-CID office, Guntur from 9:30 pm onwards (May 14, 2021). I was not given my medicine despite having had an open heart bypass surgery,” said Raju.
Mr Raju alleged when the magistrate sent him to Guntur Government General Hospital, the then superintendent of the hospital, Prabhavathi, colluded with Sunil Kumar to create false medical reports that no injuries were inflicted on his person. “Due to police brutality, I was shifted from Guntur to Secunderabad Army Hospital by the orders of the Supreme Court and thereafter I was granted bail by the Supreme Court,” said Mr Raju.
(Manas Dasgupta)
