Supreme Court Steps In on Sai Krishna Custodial Death Case as Vijayawada Secures Rs 140-Crore Civic Investment
The Supreme Court of India has moved to directly oversee the investigation into the alleged custodial torture and death of 25-year-old Gade Sai Krishna by Vijayawada's Krishnalanka police — a case that had been halted at the state level after the Andhra Pradesh High Court stayed earlier proceedings. In a separate development, Vijayawada's residents stand to gain from a Rs 820-crore state infrastructure programme that directs Rs 140 crore to the city's Municipal Corporation for roads, streetlights, parks and civic amenities. Together, the two stories capture the city's week: a community pressing for accountability in its justice system, and a government committing to the urban investment a growing city demands.
SC to Directly Oversee Sai Krishna Custodial Death Investigation
The Supreme Court of India agreed on September 23, 2026, to take personal supervisory control of the probe into the alleged custodial torture and death of Gade Sai Krishna, a 25-year-old Vijayawada resident who died after being detained by the Krishnalanka police in the city. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Augustine George Masih and Sandeep Mehta heard a petition filed by YSR Congress Party Member of Parliament Maddila Gurumoorthy, who had sought a thorough court-monitored inquiry into the alleged involvement of senior police officers — including the Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police — in what the petition characterises as an unlawful detention, an act of custodial torture resulting in Sai Krishna's death, and a subsequent effort to destroy evidence. The case had faced significant procedural obstacles before reaching the apex court: the Andhra Pradesh High Court had earlier granted a stay blocking further action on a private complaint Gurumoorthy had lodged before a Vijayawada magistrate, effectively paralysing accountability efforts at the state level. By agreeing to directly supervise the investigation, the Supreme Court has placed the conduct of Andhra Pradesh's police hierarchy under the highest level of judicial oversight in the country, substantially reducing the capacity of state authorities to deflect or delay the inquiry. Civil liberties groups across Andhra Pradesh have welcomed the SC's intervention as a decisive signal that custodial misconduct will face rigorous scrutiny, and the case is expected to remain before the bench until a credible investigative process has been completed and reported to the court's satisfaction. The apex court's willingness to step in reflects a broader national concern about the adequacy of existing institutional safeguards against custodial abuse. [2]
🏢 Vijayawada Municipal Corporation Gets Rs 140 Crore for Roads, Streetlights and Parks
Vijayawada is a principal beneficiary of a Rs 820-crore infrastructure investment the Andhra Pradesh government is channelling toward Urban Local Bodies across four districts, with the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation allocated Rs 140 crore for a comprehensive package of civic improvements. The funds are specifically designated for road construction and repair, expansion and maintenance of the city's streetlight network, development and upkeep of public parks, and investment in other municipal amenities that shape the daily experience of residents in every zone of the city. The broader allocation was announced by Guntur District Collector CM Saikanth Varma, who confirmed that Rs 527 crore of the total package would flow across four Urban Local Bodies within the Guntur administrative jurisdiction, reflecting the state government's sustained focus on the densely urbanised Krishna-Guntur corridor as a priority infrastructure zone. The investment arrives at a particularly significant moment for Vijayawada: the city's proximity to Amaravati, the state capital under construction nearby, has sharply intensified urbanisation pressures, placing growing strain on ageing roads, drainage infrastructure and public open spaces. Local residents' associations and civic organisations have long flagged deteriorating road conditions in several city zones, persistent gaps in streetlighting that affect safety in residential neighbourhoods, and underfunded parks as the most visible infrastructure concerns requiring urgent state attention. Officials confirmed that project implementation will proceed through formal municipal-level tender processes, with detailed timelines and work schedules expected to be published in the coming weeks. For a city that anchors the commercial life of coastal Andhra Pradesh, sustained investment in its physical infrastructure is both an economic necessity and a quality-of-life imperative. [4]
Sources: [2] The News Minute · [4] newindianexpress.com