Viveka murder case: SC to hear plea challenging anticipatory bail to MP Avinash Reddy on Monday

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea moved by the daughter of former MP Y S Vivekananda Reddy in his murder case, challenging a Telangana High Court order that granted anticipatory bail to YSR Congress Party MP Y S Avinash Reddy.

A vacation bench of justices Surya Kant and MM Sundresh is scheduled to hear the plea filed by petitioner Suneetha Narreddy.

Vivekananda Reddy is one of the brothers of late Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy who is the father of incumbent Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Vivekananda was found murdered at his residence in Pulivendula in Kadapa district on the night of March 15, 2019, weeks before the Assembly polls in the southern state.

His cousin Y S Bhaskar Reddy was arrested by the CBI on April 16 in connection with the killing while Bhaskar's son Avinash Reddy, a second cousin Jagan, is under the CBI scanner and has been examined by the agency several times this year.

On June 13, the top court had deferred the hearing after Narreddy, who argued her petition in-person, said the top court had directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conclude its probe in her father's murder case by June 30 but the high court had granted anticipatory bail to Avinash Reddy (respondent number 2).

On June 9, the top court had agreed to hear Narreddy's plea after senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for her, requested the court for urgent listing.

"The accused is the principal conspirator in my father's murder. The high court did not grant interim protection initially. Now, the high court has gone on the basis of media reports," Luthra had told the top court.

The Telangana High Court granted anticipatory bail to Avinash Reddy on May 31 and directed him not to leave the country without the CBI's permission till the investigation was complete.

"The petitioner shall cooperate with the investigation and appear before the CBI every Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm till the end of June 2023, and shall regularly appear as and when he is required for investigation," the high court had said.

The petitioner shall be released on bail in the event of his arrest by the CBI on the execution of a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh with two sureties for a like sum each to the satisfaction of the federal agency, the high court order had said.

The case was initially probed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state Crime Investigation Department (CID) but was handed over to the CBI in July 2020.

The CBI filed a charge sheet in the case on October 26, 2021 and followed it up with a supplementary charge sheet on January 31, 2022.

Inputs from PTI