VIJAYAWADA: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged custodial death of 24-year-old Gade Sai Krishna arrested two more police personnel and produced them before the court in Vijayawada, taking the total number of accused to six.
The two were identified as Krishna Lanka police station constables Kaitepalli Baburao and Goriparthi Sambaiah and they were mentioned as accused 5 and 6 in the FIR respectively.
Following medical examinations, both were produced before the Vijayawada Second Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, which remanded them to 14 days of custody. The court directed that Baburao be lodged in Avanigadda Jail and Sambaiah in Gannavaram Jail. According to the SIT’s report, the two constables played a key role in destroying evidence connected to Sai’s alleged illegal detention and death.
Investigators alleged that they were involved in tampering with evidence, including replacing the CCTV hard disk at Krishna Lanka police station to erase crucial footage related to the case. The SIT also submitted a detailed remand report against suspended head constables Ashok and Nani, who surrendered before investigators. The report stated that both officers allegedly participated in the illegal detention of Sai, the subsequent custodial assault, and efforts to conceal evidence after his death.
The investigation officer told the court that when asked to hand over their mobile phones, Ashok and Nani claimed they had sold them to unidentified persons in Nagpur.
The SIT told the court that technical evidence, including mobile tower data, confirmed Sai Krishna was brought to Krishnalanka Police Station on May 6, 2025. Witness statements and electronic evidence also placed the accused officers at the station. The SIT said Sai Krishna’s body is yet to be traced and sought further custodial interrogation, alleging the accused have not fully cooperated with the investigation.