Vivekananda Reddy was found dead at his home in Cuddapah on March 15, 2019.
Amaravati:
The CBI has issued a notice to YSRCP MP Avinash Reddy in connection with the murder of former MP Vivekananda Reddy in March 2019. Avinash Reddy has been asked to appear at CBI’s Hyderabad office today at 3 pm.
Yesterday, Avishesh Reddy’s father YS Bhaskar Reddy was arrested by the CBI from his house in Pulivendula and brought to Hyderabad and sent to judicial custody for two weeks in Chanchalguda Jail. The CBI on Friday arrested Udayakumar Reddy, considered close to Avinash Reddy, on charges of tampering and destruction of evidence.
Bhaskar Reddy is the brother of YS Vivekananda Reddy, former MP and Minister of Andhra Pradesh and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.
Therefore, Bhaskara Reddy is also the uncle of the present Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Vivekananda Reddy was found dead at his Pulivendula home in Kadapa on March 15, 2019, a few months before the elections in the state. Initially, it was reported that he died of heart failure, however, further investigation revealed that he had been murdered, raising doubts.
The case was investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state Criminal Investigation Department, but was handed over to the CBI in March 2020 on a petition by Sunitha Reddy, daughter of Vivekananda Reddy.
The CBI filed a charge sheet in the murder case on October 26, 2021 and a supplementary charge sheet on January 31, 2022.
The CBI was unable to find the ax which was said to be the murder weapon, although it was reported to have been thrown into a nearby water body.
Last month, while hearing a petition by Sunitha Reddy alleging that there has been inordinate delay in the probe, the Supreme Court replaced investigating officer Ram Singh and appointed a CBI SIT to complete the investigation by April 30. .
Speaking to the media in Pulivendula, hours after his father’s arrest, Avinash Reddy, who has already been questioned four times by the CBI, said, “We were shocked to know about the arrest of our father, YS Bhaskar Reddy. We will stand firm. This fight, and the truth will prevail. The CBI downplayed some of the most important and critical elements of the case. We have conveyed our concerns to the CBI Director, the new IO and the DIG. They will continue to work in the same manner continue to do as in the previous IO and have not made any effort to look into the important issues raised.”
“After the death, even before our presence at the spot, the news about the murder of Vivekananda Reddy was conveyed to his son-in-law Rajasekhara Reddy an hour before I received a call. The son-in-law called. Avinash Reddy alleged that his Personal assistant Krishna Reddy is instructed to hide the letter and Viveka’s mobile phone.