Patna court slams AP cops over IPS officer Naik’s arrest
Judge cites procedural lapses, absence of warrant and failure to inform Bihar police before halting Andhra team’s bid to take Sunil Naik into custody while rejecting transit remand
Patna: In a setback to the Andhra Pradesh police, a court in Patna has strongly objected to the manner in which senior IPS officer Sunil Naik was arrested at his residence in Bihar and rejected the transit remand sought in connection with a case linked to former MP J Raghurama Krishna Raju. According to available information, an Andhra Pradesh police team led by SP A.R. Damodhar, DSP Arvind K and DySP G.B. Ramanna Murthy, along with a woman constable and six other personnel, reached Naik’s residence at Rajbanshinagar around 6 am on Monday. The team allegedly scaled the compound wall and entered the premises without prior intimation to the local Shastrinagar police station or any competent Bihar authority. No arrest warrant was produced at the time. When Naik questioned whether mandatory inter-state arrest procedures had been followed, officers reportedly stated that a warrant was not required and that prior information to local police was unnecessary. The arrest memo was prepared at 6 am, while the local police were informed only at 6.20 am, after the arrest had been effected.
The operation also allegedly caused distress to Naik’s 66-year-old mother, who was reportedly confined to her room for a brief period during the search. It was further alleged that some officers were in plain clothes and did not clearly identify themselves, raising concerns over compliance with established arrest norms, including the D.K. Basu guidelines.
When produced before the jurisdictional court, the judge rejected the transit remand, citing procedural lapses, absence of a warrant, failure to inform local police in advance and submission of documents solely in Telugu without translation. The court directed that Naik not be arrested for 30 days. Naik has been named in an FIR lodged in Guntur district in 2024 based on allegations of custodial torture made by Raju, who is now Deputy Speaker of Andhra Pradesh Assembly.
