Senior YSR Congress party leader and former Andhra Pradesh minister Ambati Rambabu seems to have decided to follow the footsteps of former Narasapuram MP and present deputy speaker of assembly K Raghu Ramakrishnam Raju in taking to legal recourse on his custodial torture issue.
Ambati approached the state high court, alleging that he was subjected to custodial torture by the police after his arrest in a case registered over his alleged remarks against chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
In his petition, Ambati urged the high court to order an independent probe into the alleged torture, instead of entrusting the inquiry to either the Special Investigation Team (SIT) or the Crime Investigation Department (CID).
He also sought directions to the State government to register a criminal case against the police personnel concerned and initiate disciplinary action against those found responsible.
The former minister further requested the court to direct authorities to preserve CCTV footage from the period during which he was in police custody, contending that the footage could serve as crucial evidence in establishing the sequence of events.
The case against Ambati was registered by the Nallapadu police in Guntur district following a complaint by leaders of the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), who alleged that he had made objectionable remarks against the chief minister.
Police later arrested him and produced him before a magistrate, who remanded him to judicial custody.
Ambati has now alleged that he was subjected to physical harassment and torture while in police custody, prompting him to seek legal intervention from the high court.
During the previous YSR Congress party regime, too, Raghu Ramakrishnam Raju made similar allegations and moved the high court.
He had alleged that he was tortured by police after being arrested in a sedition case. The case is still going on.