Ex-Addl SP of CID sent to 14-day judicial remand

Highlights

The accused No.4 in the infamous ‘Raghu Rama Krishna Raju Custodial Torture case’ and the former additional SP of CID, K Vijay Paul was shifted to Guntur court from Ongole, and he was sent to remand for 14 days on Wednesday.

Ongole : The accused No.4 in the infamous ‘Raghu Rama Krishna Raju Custodial Torture case’ and the former additional SP of CID, K Vijay Paul was shifted to Guntur court from Ongole, and he was sent to remand for 14 days on Wednesday.

Kanumuru Raghu Rama Krishna Raju, famously known as RRR in Andhra politics, was an elected MP from Narasapur from YSR Congress Party, between 2019 and 2024. Though he claimed to be an ardent supporter of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy as the YSRCP’s president, he criticised his leader’s policies as the Chief Minister. Based on complaints against Raghu Rama Krishna Raju for commenting against the then Chief Minister, the then CID additional SP K Vijay Paul arrested him in Hyderabad and brought him to Guntur.

The former MP complained to the court that the police had tortured him in custody, and the reports from the Military Hospital in Secunderabad revealed that he was suffering from injuries.

After the change of the government in the State, Raghu Rama Krishna Raju lodged a complaint with the Nagarampalem police, against the allegedly involved police officers and politicians in the ‘custodial torture incident’. Guntur police and CID handled the investigation of the case and then handed it over to Prakasam district SP A R Damodar. The Prakasam SP probed the then investigation officer of the case against Raghu Rama Krishna Raju, Vijay Paul two times in Ongole.

Vijay Paul replied to all questions during the inquiry, which was video recorded. However, his replies mainly were, “I don’t know, cannot remember and forgot.”

Considering the situation, and the denial of anticipatory bail to the accused by the court, the investigation officer of the RRR custodial torture case, Prakasam SP Damodar arrested Vijay Paul on Tuesday night, which is the first arrest in the case.

As there were not enough facilities to conduct a medical test at GGH Ongole, the police kept him in taluka police station in Ongole until late afternoon on Wednesday. The doctors were called in to check Vijay Paul for fitness for travel to Guntur, and after their affirmation, the police shifted him to Guntur.

At Guntur court, the police submitted a 11-page remand report seeking Vijay Paul’s custody for interrogation. Prosecutor V Rajendra Prasad submitted to the judge that the ex-cop didn’t cooperate with the police in the formal examination, and he is required for custody. But, the court sent Vijay Paul to remand for 14 days.

Speaking at the court, Rajendra Prasad said that they had examined 27 people related to the case so far. He said that they would continue the examination of all people including the doctors at GGH Guntur, who allegedly gave a false report on the wounds of Raghu Rama Krishna Raju. He alleged that influential persons in the earlier government tried to kill Raghu Rama Krishna Raju in custody, and the present investigation will bring them all to court.