Patna Court Rejects Transit Remand for Senior IPS Officer M. Sunil Naik
In a significant legal setback for the Andhra Pradesh Police, the Patna Civil Court in Bihar has rejected a request for a transit remand to arrest senior IPS officer M. Sunil Naik. The court ordered his immediate release and directed that no coercive action be taken against him for a period of 30 days.
The development occurred after a team from the Andhra Pradesh Police arrived in Patna to detain Naik, who currently serves as the Inspector General (IG) of Fire Services in Bihar. The police action was initiated based on a case filed in Guntur district following a complaint by Andhra Pradesh Deputy Speaker Raghu Ramakrishna Raju in 2024. The complaint alleges that Raju was subjected to custodial torture and attempted murder in 2021, during which time Naik was serving on deputation as the DIG of the AP CID. Naik has been listed as Accused No. 7 (A7) in the case.
Officers from AP detained Naik at his residence in Shastri Nagar, Patna, and produced him before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) court to secure a transit warrant for his transfer to Andhra Pradesh.
However, the court denied the request, highlighting severe procedural lapses in the operation. The magistrate noted that the AP Police team failed to produce a valid arrest warrant or an updated case diary. Furthermore, the court viewed the failure to provide prior intimation to the local Bihar police as a serious violation of protocol. Consequently, the court dismissed the remand plea and granted the officer temporary relief from arrest.
The development occurred after a team from the Andhra Pradesh Police arrived in Patna to detain Naik, who currently serves as the Inspector General (IG) of Fire Services in Bihar. The police action was initiated based on a case filed in Guntur district following a complaint by Andhra Pradesh Deputy Speaker Raghu Ramakrishna Raju in 2024. The complaint alleges that Raju was subjected to custodial torture and attempted murder in 2021, during which time Naik was serving on deputation as the DIG of the AP CID. Naik has been listed as Accused No. 7 (A7) in the case.
Officers from AP detained Naik at his residence in Shastri Nagar, Patna, and produced him before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) court to secure a transit warrant for his transfer to Andhra Pradesh.
However, the court denied the request, highlighting severe procedural lapses in the operation. The magistrate noted that the AP Police team failed to produce a valid arrest warrant or an updated case diary. Furthermore, the court viewed the failure to provide prior intimation to the local Bihar police as a serious violation of protocol. Consequently, the court dismissed the remand plea and granted the officer temporary relief from arrest.