A local court in Bihar on Monday denied transit remand to the Andhra Pradesh Police for IG-rank officer Sunil Kumar Naik in connection with the alleged custodial torture of former Narsapuram MP K. Raghu Rama Krishna Raju, who is currently a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA and Deputy Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.
A team of Andhra Pradesh Police raided Naik’s official residence in Patna, where he is presently serving as Inspector General (IG) in the Bihar Fire Department, amid protests by department employees. The 2005-batch IPS officer was taken into custody and questioned for several hours at his residence under the Shastri Nagar police station limits before being produced before a local court to seek transit remand, a Bihar police official said.
However, the court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM)-12 rejected the request, observing that the Andhra Pradesh Police had failed to produce a valid arrest warrant and had not submitted an updated case diary. The court expressed strong displeasure over the procedural lapses and ruled that transit remand could not be granted in the absence of proper legal documentation.
Civil Court advocate Rishikesh Narayan said arrests must strictly follow prescribed legal procedures. “When it comes to arresting an IAS or IPS officer, permission is sought from the Central government, which was followed. Sunil Naik can now seek bail from the Patna High Court. He has received significant relief for now,” he said.
Naik had been deputed to Andhra Pradesh in 2019 and served there for three years before returning to Bihar after the TDP formed the government in 2024.
The case against Naik stems from a complaint filed by Raju with Nagarampalem police in Guntur district against former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and three IPS officers, including Naik. The complaint alleged that Raju was arrested in 2021 on Naik’s instructions and was subjected to custodial assault. At the time, Naik was serving in the Central government’s Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau in Andhra Pradesh.
Following an investigation, police registered an FIR on July 11, 2024, under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 326 (causing grievous hurt using dangerous weapons) of the IPC, among other charges. Andhra Pradesh Police had repeatedly summoned Naik for questioning, but he did not appear.
After a court cancelled his bail, Andhra Pradesh Police travelled to Patna to arrest him. However, the Patna civil court’s refusal to grant transit remand has provided temporary relief to the officer. Officials said heavy security was deployed around Naik’s residence, with senior officers, including the Central Superintendent of Police and local police personnel, present during the operation.
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