Supreme Court asks for medical report of jailed Jagan Mohan Reddy critic

The Supreme Court has sought a medical report into the condition of Kanumuri Raghurama Krishnnam Raju, a critic of Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. Raju has been charged with sedition by the Reddy government and while seeking bail from the SC he alleged custodial torture.

Though Raju is a YSRCP MP, a sedition case was slapped against him after he turned a vocal critic of the CM. He claims that the case was part of political vendetta. In a short order, SC vacation bench comprising Justices Vineet Saran and BR Gavai directed that Raju be examined by the medical board in Secunderabad’s Army hospital and hospitalised there. The period in hospital would be treated as judicial custody, the court said. Raju said in his plea that he was tortured in custody after he underwent a recent bypass surgery. SC noted that the high court noted this, though he was denied bail. HC ignored his request for bail amid the pandemic and had asked him to approach the lower court.

Raju’s case was argued senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi who contended it had become fashionable to slap sedition against political opponents and critic.