Jagan, Two IPS Officers Booked for Attempt to Murder

Police in Guntur have registered an FIR against former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and two Indian Police Service (IPS) officers on a complaint by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA and former MP K. Raghurama Krishnam Raju, who alleged that there was an attempt on his life during police custody under the previous government of YSR Congress Party.

Police registered the FIR against then CID chief P. V. Sunil Kumar, then Intelligence Chief Seetharamanjaneyulu, then Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, then Additional SP R. Vijaya Paul, then Superintendent of Government General Hospital Guntur, Prabhavati and others.

The First Information Report (FIR) was registered at Nagarampalem Police Station.

The MLA from Undi constituency in West Godavari district had last month complained to the Guntur Superintendent of Police, alleging attempted murder, custodial torture and criminal conspiracy against him during the YSR Congress Party regime.

He had named then Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Sunil Kumar, Seetharamanjaneyulu and Vijay Paul as accused in his complaint.

Raju was elected to Lok Sabha on YSR Congress Party ticket from Narsapuram in 2019 but he later turned into a rebel.

Raju was arrested on May 14, 2021, from his residence in Hyderabad in a sedition case. He was booked for speaking against the government and allegedly instigating communal unrest in the state.

The then MP alleged that he was arrested without due process. He claimed that there was no medical examination or adherence to proper legal procedures.

Raju said though was recuperating after cardiac surgery, he was neither medically examined nor produced before a court in Hyderabad. He alleged that he was bullied, physically pulled inside a police vehicle and forcibly taken to Guntur the same night.

He alleged that he was kept in the CB-CID office and there was an attempt on his life during the police custody. He alleged that Sunil Kumar, Seetharamanjeyulu and others beat him with a rubber belt and lathi and did not allow him to take medicines.

The complainant said despite knowing pretty well that he had undergone bypass surgery, some persons sat on his chest and applied pressure, thereby attempting to kill him. He alleged that his phone was taken and he was beaten till he disclosed the password of the phone. He said Sunil Kumar threatened to kill him if he were to criticise then Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Raju also claimed that the then superintendent of Government General Hospital Guntur had given a false report on his injuries at the instance of the police.

Raju had complained against Sunil Kumar to the Union Home Ministry the same year. However, the Home Ministry had referred the complaint to the state government.

Raju resigned from YSRCP in February this year and joined the TDP in April. The party fielded him from the Undi constituency and he won the election held in May.

With the TDP-led NDA government coming to power, Raju lodged a fresh complaint and the police initiated action against officials allegedly involved.