New Delhi, Sep 23: In a major development in the Gade Sai Krishna custodial death and disappearance case, the Supreme Court on Wednesday subjected the Andhra Pradesh Government and police machinery to searching questions over the alleged illegal custody of Sai Krishna, his non-production before a Magistrate, the disappearance of crucial CCTV footage, the delayed registration of the FIR and the continued failure to trace his body.
A three-judge Bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Augustine George Masih and Justice Sandeep Mehta, while hearing the petition filed by YSRCP Tirupati MP Maddila Gurumoorthy seeking action against senior police officers including the DGP and Vijayawada Police Commissioner, reportedly expressed serious concern over the manner in which the case was handled. The Bench questioned why Sai Krishna’s mother’s complaint did not result in an immediate FIR despite her approaching senior police authorities and reportedly asked whether the DGP was “sleeping” when such serious allegations had been brought to his notice.
The Court also questioned how CCTV footage for the crucial period could disappear, why supervisory officers failed to act, why Sai Krishna was never produced before a Magistrate after admittedly being taken into police custody, and how his body could remain untraced even months later. The Bench reportedly also questioned why accountability appeared to have been confined largely to lower-level police personnel and sought answers regarding the responsibility of senior officers.
According to the reported proceedings, counsel for the State acknowledged that there had been a lapse. The Supreme Court directed that three connected petitions pending before the Andhra Pradesh High Court be transferred to it, called for the relevant case records in a sealed cover by September 30, and listed the matters for further hearing on October 12, 2026. The proceedings also reportedly brought the CBI into the matter as a respondent.
The Supreme Court’s intervention has now placed the larger questions of command responsibility, disappearance of CCTV evidence, delayed police action and the unexplained fate of Sai Krishna directly under judicial scrutiny. The case can no longer be treated merely as an isolated allegation against subordinate police personnel; the responsibility of the entire chain of command has become a central issue requiring answers.
