SIT Confirms Police Beat 25-Year-Old to Death in Vijayawada Custody as Rs 140 Crore Boosts City
Andhra Pradesh's Special Investigation Team has reached a damning conclusion about the death of 25-year-old Gade Sai Krishna: he was beaten to death by police personnel at the Krishnalanka station in Vijayawada, then secretly cremated by the accused officers themselves. The findings arrive alongside civic news — a Rs 820-crore infrastructure programme across four AP districts that will channel Rs 140 crore directly into Vijayawada's roads, streetlights and parks. The city also mourned a tragic accident at a Ganeshotsav community gathering, where a woman died after falling into a vessel of boiling sambar during annadanam preparations.
SIT Finds Vijayawada Police Beat Young Man to Death Then Secretly Cremated His Body
The Andhra Pradesh police's Special Investigation Team has officially concluded that 25-year-old Gade Sai Krishna died from injuries sustained during severe beatings by personnel at the Krishnalanka police station in Vijayawada. The SIT was formed to probe allegations of custodial torture and has identified the then-Krishnalanka Circle Inspector, SSVV Nagaraju, as the key accused in the case. The investigation found that Nagaraju did not merely fail to prevent the fatal assault — he actively directed his subordinates to conceal Sai Krishna's death from authorities. In a disturbing sequence of events alleged by the SIT, Nagaraju, together with Head Constable Ashok and a subordinate named Suresh, wrapped the young man's body in a blanket following his death. The three then transported the body by motorcycle to a crematorium in Vijayawada, where they remained on the premises until the body was fully reduced to ashes, ensuring no trace of the death could be recovered. This elaborate cover-up, carried out by officers who held positions of public trust, has provoked sharp outrage from civil liberties advocates and political opposition groups across Andhra Pradesh. The case places a harsh spotlight on the state of custodial accountability and raises urgent questions about police oversight, the vulnerability of detainees, and the adequacy of mechanisms designed to protect people in state custody. The SIT's formal conclusions were reported on September 19, 2026. [8]
🏢 Rs 820 Crore Infrastructure Drive Allocates Rs 140 Crore Directly to Vijayawada Municipal Corporation
A significant push to upgrade urban infrastructure across Andhra Pradesh was formalised as Guntur District Collector CM Saikanth Varma announced the allocation of Rs 527 crore across four Urban Local Bodies, forming part of a broader Rs 820-crore programme targeting four districts in the state. Vijayawada occupies a prominent place within the funding structure: the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation will receive Rs 140 crore, earmarked specifically for roads, installation of streetlights, development of parks, and a range of other civic amenities that directly affect the daily quality of life for millions of residents across the city. The announcement, reported on September 23, 2026, reflects a stated priority of modernising municipal infrastructure in one of Andhra Pradesh's largest and most economically significant urban centres. For ordinary residents, the allocation represents concrete commitments on long-standing grievances: crumbling arterial roads in key corridors, inadequate public lighting in residential colonies and market areas, and the shortage of green public spaces that has accompanied the city's growth. Civil works funded under this programme are expected to affect neighbourhood-level infrastructure across multiple wards, making the scheme's impact broadly felt. The investment also carries significance for Vijayawada's businesses, as improved roads and lighting directly support commercial activity and reduce logistics costs for traders and transport operators operating within and through the city. [5]
46-Year-Old Woman Dies After Falling Into Boiling Sambar at Vijayawada Ganeshotsav Annadanam
A tragic accident at a community festival gathering cast a shadow over Vijayawada's Ganeshotsav season when a 46-year-old woman accidentally fell into a large vessel of boiling sambar and later died. The incident took place on Sunday, September 22, 2026, during preparations for an Annadanam programme — the practice of providing free cooked meals to devotees — that was organised in connection with the immersion of a Ganesha idol in the locality. Annadanam is a deeply revered tradition in South Indian devotional culture, particularly during Ganeshotsav and other major festivals, when community volunteers cook and distribute food on a large scale for hundreds or even thousands of people. The sheer scale of such operations, typically conducted with enormous open-flame vessels of sambar, rice, and other preparations, creates significant hazards when safety barriers are insufficient or when crowd movement becomes unpredictable near cooking areas. The circumstances of the accident underscore the physical risks present at outdoor community food preparation events during peak festival periods, when enthusiasm and devotion can outpace formal safety planning. ETV Bharat reported the incident on September 22, 2026, noting that the woman sustained severe burn injuries and was taken for treatment before succumbing. The tragedy has prompted reflection within Vijayawada's communities on the need for systematic safety protocols at large-scale Annadanam events during the festive calendar. [7]
Sources: [8] The News Minute · [5] The New Indian Express · [7] ETV Bharat