Former Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy booked in ‘attempt to murder’ case

Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and chief of the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) Jagan Mohan Reddy along with two IPS officers and two retired officials have been booked in an attempt to murder case.

The case was registered by Andhra Pradesh Police following a complaint lodged by the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA from Undi assembly constituency, K Raghurama Krishna Raju. Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy(ANI file photo)

Meanwhile, the IPS officers have been identified as PV Sunil Kumar and PSR Sitaramanjaneyulu and the retired officials include R Vijay Paul, who was a police officer and former Guntur Government General Hospital superintendent G Prabhavati.

“Raju sent his police complaint through mail one month ago and after taking legal opinion, I registered a case at 7 pm on Thursday against the former CM and others,” an official told PTI.

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Raju in his complaint had also alleged that he was subjected to “custodial torture,” the official added.

The five accused have been booked under IPC Sections 120 B, 166, 167, 197, 307, 326, 465 and 506 read with 34. Police invoked the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as the case is three years old.

The case was registered at Nagarampalem police station in Guntur. TDP leader Raju’s 2021 arrest case came to the fore in Andhra Pradesh after he lodged a complaint against Reddy and some officials over it on June 10.

He has accused the former CM and the senior officials of allegedly plotting a criminal conspiracy against him. The 62-year-old politician has also made accusations that senior IPS officers Sunil Kumar and Sitaramanjaneyulu, police officer Vijaya Paul and government doctor Prabhavathi were part of that alleged conspiracy.

He was arrested in May, 2021 in the middle of the Covid-19 second wave.

“A false case was registered against me by the CB-CID of the Andhra Pradesh government. On May 14, 2021, I was arrested without due process, I was bullied, unlawfully physically pulled inside the police vehicle, and forcibly taken to Guntur the same night,” Raju alleged in the complaint.

When Raju was arrested, Kumar was heading the CID, Sitaramanjaneyulu the Intelligence wing chief, Paul was ASP CID and Reddy was the chief minister.

The MLA said though he had undergone an open-heart surgery few weeks before his arrest, Raju claimed he was abused. Also, he alleged there were threats to kill him for criticising the former chief minister.

“I was arrested without due process, including the absence of a medical examination or adherence to proper legal procedures...I was kept in the CB-CID office, Guntur from 9:30 pm onwards (May 14, 2021). I was not given my medicine despite having had an open heart bypass surgery,”Raju, who was an YSRCP MP from Narasapuram, claimed.

Raju also alleged that when the magistrate had sent him to Guntur Government General Hospital, the then superintendent of the hospital, Prabhavathi, had colluded with Sunil Kumar to create false medical reports that no injuries were inflicted on his person.

“Due to police brutality, I was shifted from Guntur to Secunderabad Army Hospital by the orders of the Supreme Court and thereafter I was granted bail by the Supreme Court,” said Raju. The bail came a week later.

Among other allegations, he demanded that a case be registered against all the accused persons and said in his complaint that these criminal offences must be addressed promptly and justice be done.

(With inputs from PTI)