Bihar Court denies remand of IPS Officer in RRR Case

The court found significant procedural deficiencies in the arrest process. Judicial observations indicated that the AP police failed to produce a valid arrest warrant and did not submit an updated case diary supporting the arrest

A dramatic legal setback for the Andhra Pradesh Police unfolded in Bihar on Tuesday after a Patna court refused to grant transit remand for senior IPS officer M. Sunil Naik, who was taken into custody in connection with the alleged custodial torture case involving Andhra Pradesh Deputy Speaker Raghu Rama Krishna Raju. The court not only rejected the remand plea but also ordered Naik’s immediate release, citing serious procedural lapses by the visiting police team.

Sunil Naik, currently serving as Inspector General (Fire Services) in Bihar, had earlier worked on deputation as a senior officer in the Andhra Pradesh CID during the YSRCP government. He is listed as Accused No. 7 in the case registered in Guntur district following a complaint filed by Raghu Rama Krishna Raju in 2024, alleging that he was subjected to third-degree torture and an attempted murder during CID custody in 2021.

According to officials, Andhra Pradesh CID police travelled to Patna after issuing multiple notices to Naik that allegedly went unanswered. The team detained him from his residence in Shastri Nagar and produced him before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) court, seeking a transit warrant to shift him to Andhra Pradesh for further investigation.

However, the court found significant procedural deficiencies in the arrest process. Judicial observations indicated that the AP police failed to produce a valid arrest warrant and did not submit an updated case diary supporting the arrest. The court also noted that local Bihar police authorities were not properly informed in advance, a mandatory requirement in inter-state arrest procedures.

Calling these lapses serious violations of due process, the Patna court denied transit remand and directed that Sunil Naik be released immediately. In a further setback to the investigating agency, the court ordered that no coercive action be taken against the officer for 30 days, effectively granting him temporary protection.The case stems from the controversial arrest of then YSRCP rebel MP Raghu Rama Krishna Raju in May 2021 on sedition related charges. Raju had alleged that he was physically assaulted while in CID custody, sparking a major political controversy and attracting national attention. Medical examinations ordered by courts at the time had raised questions over injuries he claimed to have suffered.

Following a change in government, a fresh complaint led to the registration of a criminal case against several police officials associated with the earlier investigation. The probe has since targeted multiple officers accused of involvement in the alleged custodial torture.