A local court in Vijayawada has granted the Special Investigation Team eight days’ custody of Inspector S S V V Nagaraju in connection with the disappearance case of rowdy-sheeter Gade Sai Krishna from Rajiv Nagar in Krishna Lanka.
The order was passed by Second Additional Judicial Magistrate of First Class S Sreekanth on Thursday while hearing the SIT’s petition seeking 12 days of custodial interrogation.
The court permitted the SIT to question Nagaraju from Friday until July 10 but limited the custody period to eight days.
It also directed that the interrogation be conducted inside Rajamahendravaram Central Prison, where the accused is currently lodged.
The magistrate allowed two lawyers representing Nagaraju to remain present during the proceedings.
However, only one lawyer may remain within visible distance of the accused during questioning, and the advocate shall not interfere with the investigation under any circumstances.
The court further directed the SIT to record the entire interrogation through audio, video and CCTV footage and submit the recordings before the court. Jail authorities have been instructed to preserve the recordings until further orders.
The interrogation has been restricted to between 10 am and 5 pm each day.
The prison superintendent has also been directed to submit a daily report to the court after the conclusion of each day’s questioning.
The custodial interrogation is expected to play a crucial role in the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Sai Krishna, a case that has attracted considerable public and political attention in Andhra Pradesh.
