The CBI filed the charge sheet in the murder case on October 26, 2021.
New Delhi:
The Supreme Court on Monday set aside the Telangana High Court order providing advance written questionnaire to YSR Congress Party Lok Sabha member YS Avinash Reddy to the CBI probing the murder of former Andhra Pradesh minister YS Vivekananda Reddy. Agency scanner.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha set aside the direction issued by the High Court to the CBI, terming the High Court’s order as “unwarranted”.
The apex court, however, said that the High Court can hear the anticipatory bail plea of Avinash Reddy on merits.
Mr. Reddy is the nephew of YS Vivekananda Reddy and a cousin of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy.
It also rejected the forceful pleas of senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, appearing for Avinash Reddy, that he be protected from arrest for at least 24 hours as the anticipatory bail plea is listed for hearing before the Telangana High Court on April 25.
“A few minutes ago, you wanted to withdraw the plea itself. For us, in a normal case, we would have allowed the anticipatory bail plea to be withdrawn and moved on. But in this case, we had to say that the High Court would not pass can do.” such orders. We were really disturbed by the order of the High Court. If CBI had to arrest you, they would have done it earlier. The CBI has shown utmost restraint,” the bench said.
The bench said that the High Court directed that Avinash Reddy appear before the CBI office for investigation from April 19 to April 25 and the question-answers be in writing and a questionnaire be handed over to the accused.
“An order of this nature would render the investigation ineffective. The High Court cannot order the investigation of a suspect in writing.
“It is completely unwarranted for the High Court to order the first respondent (Avinash Reddy) to be questioned. Such orders hamper the investigation, especially when the CBI is ascertaining the role of several accused. The directions were unwarranted and thus the order of the High Court is set-aside,” the bench said. Earlier on April 21, the apex court had termed the HC order as “dastardly and unacceptable” and stayed protection from arrest till April 25 to Avinash Reddy in Vivekananda Reddy’s murder.
The top court had also stayed the High Court order directing the CBI to give a questionnaire to Avinash Reddy in connection with the probe. The Supreme Court had also asked the CBI not to arrest Avinash Reddy till Monday.
“Issue notice. The directions contained in paragraph 18 of the impugned order of the High Court shall remain in force. However, the CBI shall not arrest him till Monday,” the bench had adjourned the matter on April 24.
The apex court was hearing a petition by Sunita Nareddy, daughter of YS Vivekananda Reddy, challenging the High Court order.
Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Sunita, said the investigation was shifted from Andhra Pradesh to Hyderabad in Telangana due to political patronage enjoyed by the accused MLA.
When the apex court said that it wanted to stay the High Court order, senior advocate Ranjith Kumar, appearing for Avinash Reddy, said that his client was siding with the CBI and could be arrested because of this order. .
Vivekananda Reddy, one of the brothers of the late Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh YS Rajasekhara Reddy, was murdered at his residence in Pulivendula in Cuddapah district on the night of March 15, 2019, weeks before the assembly elections in the state.
The Telangana High Court on April 18 directed the YSRCP MP to appear before the CBI every day for questioning and granted him protection from arrest till April 25.
In an interim order on Avinash Reddy’s anticipatory bail plea, the court asked him to cooperate with the central agency and appear daily till April 25.
Avinash Reddy filed an anticipatory bail application in the High Court before appearing before the CBI. His father YS Bhaskar Reddy, uncle of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, was arrested by the CBI on 16 April in connection with the murder of Vivekananda Reddy.
The murder case was initially investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state CID, but was handed over to the CBI in July 2020.
The CBI filed a charge sheet in the murder case on October 26, 2021 and thereafter a supplementary charge sheet on January 31, 2022.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)