Sunil Naik case: Guntur court posts NBW hearing to Friday after dramatic arguments

Vijayawada: In a dramatic twist in the ongoing legal battle involving Bihar cadre IPS officer Sunil Naik, the Guntur court on Thursday posted further hearing on the plea for issuance of a non-bailable warrant (NBW) to Friday, following last-minute arguments by the officer's counsel.The development comes amid intensifying proceedings in the alleged custodial torture case linked to former Narasapuram MP and current AP deputy speaker K Raghurama Krishna Raju.During the hearing, Nagarampalem police informed the court that Naik had failed to appear for questioning despite being served notices on three occasions and had not cooperated with the investigation. Based on this, police sought coercive steps to secure his presence. However, in a late intervention, Naik's counsel requested the court to hear their arguments before passing any orders. The lawyer submitted that a court in Patna had earlier directed that no coercive action, including arrest, be taken against Naik for a period of one month. He argued that this protection was still in force and needed to be considered before proceeding further. With both sides presenting preliminary arguments, the court decided to continue the hearing on Friday.The case traces back to 2021, when Raghurama Krishna Raju alleged custodial torture following his arrest over remarks against then Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy during the previous YSRCP regime. After the NDA alliance turned to power in 2024, a fresh FIR was filed naming Naik and others.