Police officers beat Vijayawada man to death and cremate him the same night, SIT finds

The Special Investigation Team probing the disappearance of 25-year-old Gade Sai Krishna confirmed that Krishnalanka police officers beat him to death in an abandoned structure on May 12. After the victim’s pulse stopped, the officers transported his body on a motorbike to the Swargapuri crematorium near the police station and burned it that night on cement platform No. 16, where ash and bone remains were later collected for forensic testing.

Inspector General M Ravi Prakash heads the SIT, which was formed after statewide protests over the case. Krishnalanka inspector SSV Nagaraju was arrested, and two head constables, Potharlanka Ashok Kumar and Jangam Nani, surrendered; all three remain suspended. Real-estate broker Gulivundala Suresh, accused of helping move the body and pressuring Sai Krishna’s uncle to drop a habeas corpus petition, was produced before court and later surrendered to the SIT. The investigation highlights alleged police misconduct and attempts to conceal the death.