VIJAYAWADA: The High Court on Wednesday questioned the police for failing to file a counter in a habeas corpus petition of 24-year-old youth Gade Sai which is pending since May. The court observed that the alleged custodial death of Gade Sai Krishna was a serious matter.
A bench comprising Justice Ravi Nath Tilhari and Justice Chintalapudi Purushotham Kumar directed the police to file their counter within a week and posted the matter for further hearing on August 20.
Sai’s mother, Gade Vijaya Lakshmi, had approached the HC through a habeas corpus petition, stating that her son was missing and seeking directions to the police to produce him before the court. Subsequently, it was established that Sai had died in police custody. Lakshmi then filed an additional petition seeking a CBI probe into his custodial death.
While hearing the petition, her counsel, Koganti Rithvika, informed the court that a SIT was probing the custodial death but pointed out that the police had not yet filed their counter in the habeas corpus case.
The bench questioned the police over the delay and remarked that if Sai had died in custody, the matter was serious. Government Assistant Advocate J Krishna Praneeth sought two weeks to file the counter, but the Bench declined and granted only one week.
Meanwhile, the Chief Justice Lisa Gill-led bench adjourned the hearing on a PIL seeking a CBI probe into Sai’s death. Special Government Pleader Singamneni Pranathi informed HC that the SIT was investigating the case and had recently arrested another constable.