Police Seek Fresh Custody Of IPS Trainee, To Also Search Prakasam For Possible Evidence

Hyderabad: Attapur police on Friday sought a fresh seven-day custody of trainee IPS officer M. Uday Krishna Reddy, informing the Upparpally court that investigators needed additional time to verify crucial disclosures made by the accused. Police said they needed to visit his native place in Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district in an effort to trace any evidence that may aid the investigation.

Krishna Reddy, who is facing allegations of sexually assaulting a colleague at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA), was produced before the magistrate after completion of his two-day police custody.

Police said Krishna Reddy had remained non-cooperative and evasive, or just said he did not remember the incidents. After hearing preliminary submissions from both sides, the court posted detailed arguments on the custody plea to coming Tuesday.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad police commissioner V.C. Sajjanar said: "We have sought another spell of custody to get our hands on important details, his phone and his alleged suicide note, which the accused stated as evidence.”

Sajjanar said so far only one mobile phone had been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination.

“During the previous custody period, we questioned him mainly with reference to the contents of the phone and the alleged suicide letter. If the court grants us custody again, a team will also be sent to his native place in Prakasam district to verify whether any material evidence connected to the case can be recovered," Sajjanar said.

During Friday's proceedings, counsel for Krishna Reddy strongly opposed the police plea for another week of custody. The defence alleged that the accused had been interrogated in a room without CCTV surveillance and claimed that commissioner Sajjanar had personally threatened the trainee officer during questioning, causing him to become frightened and break down in court.

He urged the magistrate to issue a show-cause notice to the Attapur station house officer over the manner in which the interrogation was conducted.

A police source denied the allegations. According to the source, the court merely observed that the allegations raised by the defence would be verified during the hearing on the custody petition.

The further maintained that Sajjanar had personally monitored part of the investigation because of the sensitivity of the case. As per protocol, the commissioner remained seated in the station gouse ifficer's room while the accused was questioned there in the presence of the investigating team.

The accused was just made to stand during the questioning, the source said, adding that the investigation was conducted in accordance with procedure.