Amaravati, March 5 – Bihar cadre IPS officer, M. Sunil Kumar Naik, appeared before the Andhra Pradesh Police on Thursday for questioning regarding the alleged custodial torture of former Member of Parliament K. Raghu Ramakrishna Raju, who is now the Deputy Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.
Sunil Kumar Naik, who is the Director of Fire Services in Bihar, arrived at the Central Crime Station in Guntur at 10 a.m.
Vizianagaram Superintendent of Police A. R. Damodar, who is the investigating officer in the case, was questioning Naik. The questioning is likely to continue until 5 p.m.
Naik appeared before the police at the direction of the Andhra Pradesh High Court. While hearing his anticipatory bail petition on Monday, the High Court granted him interim protection but directed him to appear before the investigating officer on or before March 5.
Andhra Pradesh Police had arrested Sunil Naik in Patna on February 23 as he was not appearing for questioning despite receiving notices. However, a Patna court rejected the police's request for a transit warrant.
Following this, the police approached a court in Guntur, which issued an arrest warrant on February 26.
The IPS officer had moved the High Court for anticipatory bail. His lawyer argued that the case against him was politically motivated.
The court was told that Sunil Naik's name does not appear in the FIR, and that the petitioner had only arrested Raju in Hyderabad in connection with a case and then transferred him to Guntur. He denied any involvement in the alleged custodial torture of the then MP.
Justice Venkata Jyothirmayee Prathapa directed the IPS officer to appear before the investigating officer on or before March 5, and whenever he was summoned. The High Court adjourned further hearing to March 9.
Raghurama Krishna Raju was allegedly tortured in police custody in 2021 when the YSR Congress Party was in power.
Raju, then an MP, was arrested for allegedly making derogatory remarks against the then Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Raju was elected to the Lok Sabha on a YSRCP ticket from Narsapuram in 2019, but he later became a rebel.
He was arrested on May 14, 2021, at his residence in Hyderabad for speaking against the government and allegedly inciting communal unrest in the state.
Raju joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) just before the 2024 elections and was elected to the Assembly. The TDP-led coalition made him Deputy Speaker.
Sunil Naik, who was serving as a DIG of the Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) at that time, returned to Bihar in 2024.
In July 2024, Guntur Police had registered an FIR against Jagan Mohan Reddy, three IPS officers, and others based on a complaint by Raju, who alleged that there was an attempt on his life during police custody.
