Published Jul 07, 2026 | 1:53 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 07, 2026 | 1:53 PM
SSVV Nagaraju is currently lodged in Rajahmundry Central Jail.
Synopsis: Andhra Pradesh police have booked suspended Krishnalanka Circle Inspector SSVV Nagaraju, who is currently in judicial custody in connection with the alleged murder of Gade Sai Krishna, under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the suicide case of Dalit youth Perupogu Kranthi Kumar on 21 May. The action followed an inquiry into Kranthi Kumar’s video statement, in which he alleged that harassment by Nagaraju drove him to take the extreme step.
Andhra Pradesh police have booked suspended Krishnalanka Circle Inspector SSVV Nagaraju under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in connection with the suicide of Dalit youth Perupogu Kranthi Kumar, who died on 21 May.
In a video statement recorded before his death, Kranthi Kumar blamed alleged harassment by Nagaraju for driving him to take the extreme step.
The latest case adds to the allegations against Nagaraju, who was arrested in June in connection with the disappearance and alleged custodial torture and murder of 25-year-old Gade Sai Krishna. He is currently lodged in Rajahmundry Central Jail.
Kranthi Kumar’s death was initially registered by police as suspicious. However, his family members alleged that there was an attempt to cover up the circumstances leading to his death.
The fresh FIR was registered following an inquiry by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), NTR North division, Satyanand, into the circumstances surrounding Kranthi Kumar’s death.
During the inquiry, the ACP examined the video recorded by Kranthi Kumar, recorded statements from his relatives and sent his mobile phone for forensic examination.
Based on the findings, police booked Nagaraju under sections related to abetment of suicide, along with provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
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Kranthi Kumar’s father, Perupogu Venkateswara Rao, a founding member and state president of the Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS), had earlier expressed disappointment over the delay in the investigation into his son’s death.
Rao alleged that Kranthi Kumar had faced prolonged harassment from the police, who refused to remove the rowdy sheet opened against him. He also alleged that the state’s response to the case reflected caste-based discrimination.
Before charges were filed against CI Nagaraju in the case, the MRPS had convened a meeting of Dalit, social and political party representatives on Tuesday, 7 July, at a community hall near Rao’s residence in Vijayawada. The meeting was intended to chalk out the next phase of their campaign seeking that charges against Nagaraju be altered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Rao told South First that the meeting would proceed as planned.
“After the meeting, we are planning to meet ACP Satyanand. If we are not satisfied with the case against Nagaraju, we will once again meet with the Commissioner of Police for NTR district, Rajasekhara Babu, to demand stricter sections and a thorough investigation,” he said.
Former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy visited Kranthi Kumar’s family on 2 July.
During the visit, he questioned why a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was not registered earlier despite Kranthi Kumar’s dying declaration.
He alleged that the conduct of the Andhra Pradesh police had become dangerous, pointing out that Kranthi Kumar, a taxi driver with no active criminal record, was allegedly made to report to the police station daily for nearly three months before his death.
Reddy also raised questions over the disappearance of CCTV footage from Krishnalanka police station.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
