Andhra Police Question Bihar IGP Sunil Kumar Naik Again in Raghurama Krishna Raju Torture Case

• Andhra Police question Bihar IGP Sunil Kumar Naik again
• Raghurama Krishna Raju torture case investigation continues
• High Court orders Bihar IGP to attend questioning

Andhra Pradesh police continued the questioning of Bihar Inspector General of Police Sunil Kumar Naik for the second consecutive day in connection with the alleged custodial torture of former Member of Parliament Raghurama Krishna Raju. The interrogation is taking place at the Central Crime Station in Guntur under the supervision of the investigating team.

Sunil Kumar Naik arrived at the police office in the morning and is being questioned by a team led by Vizianagaram Superintendent of Police A R Damodar, who is handling the investigation. Officials said the questioning sessions are expected to continue for several hours each day as investigators examine the circumstances surrounding the case.

The development follows directions from the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which instructed the officer to cooperate with the investigation and appear before the police until March 9. The hearing on his anticipatory bail petition is scheduled to resume on the same date.

The case relates to an incident in 2021 when Raghurama Krishna Raju, then a rebel Member of Parliament from the YSR Congress Party, was arrested over alleged remarks against the then Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. Raju was taken into custody at his residence in Hyderabad and later shifted to Guntur for further proceedings.

According to the complaint filed by Raju, he was subjected to custodial torture during his detention and claimed there was an attempt on his life while he was in police custody. Based on his complaint, Guntur police registered a case against several individuals including former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and three IPS officers.

At the time of the incident, Sunil Kumar Naik was serving on deputation in Andhra Pradesh as Deputy Inspector General in the Crime Investigation Department. He is currently serving as the Director of Bihar State Fire Services.

Investigators had earlier attempted to question Naik by issuing notices, but when he did not appear, Andhra Pradesh police arrested him in Patna in February. However, a local court there declined to grant a transit warrant. Later, a Guntur court issued an arrest warrant related to the case.

Naik has maintained that the allegations against him are politically motivated and stated that his role was limited to the arrest of Raghurama Krishna Raju in Hyderabad and transferring him to Guntur as part of official duty. He denied any involvement in the alleged custodial torture.

Meanwhile, Raghurama Krishna Raju, who joined the Telugu Desam Party before the 2024 elections, was elected as an MLA and currently serves as the Deputy Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. The investigation continues as authorities gather further evidence related to the incident.