Suspended Andhra Pradesh Inspector Booked For Murder In Missing Youth Case

A missing person case that has triggered widespread concern within the Andhra Pradesh Police has taken a dramatic turn, with a suspended police inspector now facing murder and illegal confinement charges over the disappearance of a 23-year-old man from Vijayawada.

Police on Friday registered a case against suspended inspector Nagaraju , who was previously attached to the Krishnalanka Police Station, following a complaint filed by the mother of missing youth Gade Saikrishna . The case has intensified scrutiny over allegations of custodial torture and a possible cover-up.

Saikrishna has been missing for several weeks, and his disappearance has become the subject of a high-profile investigation. Acting on a written complaint submitted by his mother, Gade Vijayalakshmi , police registered an FIR accusing the former officer of unlawfully detaining her son, subjecting him to severe torture and ultimately causing his death.

According to the complaint, Nagaraju allegedly kept Saikrishna in illegal custody at a police station and assaulted him repeatedly. Vijayalakshmi further alleged that after her son's death, efforts were made to destroy evidence and conceal the body without informing the family.

The FIR invokes Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to murder, along with provisions concerning wrongful confinement and other relevant sections under the criminal procedure framework.

The case has drawn the attention of the state government. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed that the matter be investigated thoroughly and has reportedly appointed a senior IPS officer to oversee the probe.

The controversy gained further political traction after opposition leader Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy visited Saikrishna's family on Thursday. Demanding a CBI inquiry , Jagan alleged that the youth had been subjected to brutal custodial torture. He claimed the victim's mother had repeatedly approached police authorities seeking access to her son but was denied permission despite her persistent appeals.

Jagan also criticised senior police officials, alleging that the family's complaints failed to receive an adequate response despite being raised before top authorities.

Meanwhile, another development has added to the controversy surrounding the suspended officer. A selfie video recorded by Perupogu Kranthi Kumar , a Dalit youth who died by suicide in May, has surfaced on social media. In the video, Kranthi Kumar allegedly blamed Nagaraju for harassment and pressure that he claimed drove him to take the extreme step.

The emergence of the video has led to renewed questions about Nagaraju's conduct in earlier cases as investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding both incidents.

With allegations of custodial violence, disappearance and possible destruction of evidence now under investigation, the Saikrishna case has become one of the most closely watched law-and-order controversies in Andhra Pradesh in recent months.