Published Feb 24, 2026 | 3:23 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 24, 2026 | 3:23 PM
Raju accused then DIG Sunil Kumar Nayak (L), of direct involvement in his torture.
Synopsis: In a controversial dawn raid, Andhra Pradesh Police arrested senior IPS officer M Sunil Kumar Nayak in Patna over custodial torture allegations linked to rebel MP K Raghurama Krishna Raju’s 2021 arrest. Procedural lapses prompted a Patna court to reject transit remand, order his release, and bar coercive action for 30 days.
In a dramatic turn of events, the early-morning arrest of senior IPS officer M Sunil Kumar Nayak by Andhra Pradesh Police in Patna — and his subsequent release following a court order — left the AP police red-faced on Monday, 23 February.
In a dawn operation, a team from Andhra Pradesh arrested Nayak from his residence in Shastri Nagar, Patna, in connection with alleged custodial torture and an attempt-to-murder case involving K Raghurama Krishna Raju, the current Deputy Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
Nayak, a 2005-batch IPS officer of the Bihar cadre, is presently serving as Inspector General (IG) of Home Guards and Fire Services in Bihar.
The case stems from an incident in May 2021, when Raju — then a rebel YSR Congress Party MP from Narasapuram and a vocal critic of the then Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy — was arrested by the Andhra Pradesh CID for allegedly making derogatory remarks against the CM.
Raju later alleged that he was subjected to severe custodial torture at the CID office in Guntur. He claimed he was physically assaulted with belts and lathis, denied medication despite having recently undergone bypass surgery, and that there was an attempt on his life, with officers allegedly sitting on his chest. He accused senior CID officials, including then DIG Sunil Kumar Nayak, of direct involvement.
Following the change of government in Andhra Pradesh in 2024, Raju lodged a formal complaint, leading to the registration of FIR No. 187/2024 at Nagarampalem Police Station in Guntur on 11 July, 2024. Nayak was named as one of the accused.
The charges include attempt to murder (Section 307 IPC), causing grievous hurt, and criminal conspiracy. His anticipatory bail plea was rejected by a local court in Andhra Pradesh on 9 January, 2026.
The arrest operation, conducted around 6 am, was led by SP AR Damodhar and included DSP Arvind K and other officers.
However, Nayak’s counsel alleged several procedural violations. According to the defence, the Andhra police team scaled the compound wall to enter the residence without prior intimation to the local Bihar Police.
Information, it was claimed, was shared only at 6.20 am — after the arrest had already been made. The defence further contended that the team failed to produce a proper arrest warrant or an updated case diary before the court, and that some officers were not in uniform. Counsel Shrivastava described the action as “malafide.”
When produced before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM-12) at the Patna Civil Court for transit remand, the court reportedly took strong exception to the manner of arrest.
Citing serious procedural lapses, the court rejected the transit remand plea outright. It noted that Nayak had previously approached courts and expressed willingness to cooperate with the investigation. The court further directed that no coercive action be taken against him for 30 days.
