VIJAYAWADA: In a major development in the sensational disappearance of 24-year-old rowdy-sheeter Gade Sai Krishna from Krishna Lanka police station, the SIT probing the case, arrested the suspended Circle Inspector (CI)SSVV Nagaraju on Tuesday.
Anticipating the agitations and other demonstrations, SIT officials deployed armed reserve platoons and additional forces. Amidst agitations and resistance from the residents of Krishna Lanka and other public, Nagaraju was shifted to the SIT office at the Command Control Centre in Vijayawada, where he was interrogated for nearly five hours as part of the ongoing probe.
The case has taken a dramatic turn, with the police reportedly converting it from an attempt-to-murder case into a murder case. Police have invoked Section 103(1) of the BNS, treating the matter as a homicide investigation while keeping the previous charges under sections 127(4), 127(6), and 238 of the BNS.
According to sources, it is learnt that SIT officials reportedly found that CCTV recordings between May 1 and June 1 were missing. Investigators discovered that only two days’ footage from the entire month had been preserved during Nagaraju’s tenure as CI. CCTV footage is one of the most significant pieces of evidence and it was missing. Officials suspect that the footage may have been deleted as part of an attempt to destroy evidence linked to Sai Krishna’s disappearance.
The missing recordings are believed to be critical to establishing the sequence of events surrounding the case. The revelation has intensified suspicions about possible tampering with evidence and obstruction of the investigation.
The SIT has prepared a comprehensive report on its findings so far. SIT Chief Ravi Prakash reviewed the probe before leaving the Command Control Centre.
The report will be submitted to senior officials. The government has sought details of rallies supporting suspended CI Nagaraju. Intelligence officials are examining whether the protests violated government directives or interfered with the ongoing probe.