The Andhra Pradesh Police have booked former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, two senior Indian Police Service officers and two retired officials on charges of attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and criminal intimidation, reported PTI on Friday.
The case was registered on a complaint filed by former Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party MP K Raghurama Krishnam Raju.
Raju, who is now an MLA of the ruling Telugu Desam Party, has alleged that he was assaulted in 2021 by police officials at the behest of Reddy, reported The New Indian Express. He has also alleged that he was tortured in custody.
On May 14, 2021, Raju was arrested after he moved the Central Bureau of Investigation special court in Hyderabad against the bail granted to Reddy in an alleged disproportionate assets case, according to The Indian Express.
Reddy was the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh at the time of Raju’s arrest.
The state Crime Investigation Department had taken Raju into custody after issuing a notice under Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to sedition (124A), promoting enmity between different groups (153A) and public mischief (505).
He was granted bail by the Supreme Court on May 21, 2021.
In his complaint to the Guntur Police on June 11, Raju alleged that senior Indian Police Service officers PV Sunil Kumar and P Sitaramanjaneyulu and police officer Vijaya Paul beat him up with a stick and a rubber belt.
He alleged that he was not allowed to take his medicines by the police on Reddy’s directions, according to The New Indian Express.
Raju also said that the police took away his mobile phone and forced him to give them its password.
“Sunil Kumar had also threatened to kill me if I did not stop criticising Reddy,” he said in the complaint.
When Raju was arrested, Kumar was heading the Crime Investigation Department, Sitaramanjaneyulu was heading the intelligence wing and Paul was the assistant superintendent of police in the Crime Investigation Department.
Reddy and the officials have been booked under Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to criminal conspiracy (120B), public servant disobeying law (166), issuing and signing an incorrect document with the intent to cause injury (167 and 197), attempt to murder (307), voluntarily causing hurt (326), punishment for forgery (465) and criminal intimidation (506 read with 34), according to PTI.
After the first information report was registered against him, Kumar said on social media: “I leave it to your wisdom to understand how an FIR can be filed anew in a case that the Supreme Court has already dismissed.”
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