YS Vivekananda Reddy murder case: SC investigation deadline ends; all eyes on CBI

Hyderabad: All eyes are on CB as the Supreme Court deadline for the investigation into former minister YS Vivekananda Reddy's murder case ended on June 30.

The case has been ongoing for four years and has taken many turns. The deadline for the CBI to complete the investigation into Vivekananda Reddy's murder ended on June 30, 2023.

The Supreme Court had previously set a deadline to complete the investigation by April 30, 2023, but later extended the deadline to June 30. It is unclear whether the investigation has been completed or if the CBI will ask for more time. The six accused in the case, who are currently in jail, will be produced in the CBI court.

The 2019 Viveka murder mystery

YS Vivekananda Reddy, one of the brothers of the late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, and uncle of Chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was found murdered at his residence in Pulivendula in Kadapa district on the night of March 15, 2019, weeks before the Assembly elections in the state.

The first investigation into the case was conducted by the SIT formed by the TDP government.

After YS Jagan became chief minister, a new SIT was formed on June 13, 2019.

Dr. Suneeta Narreddy, daughter of YS Vivekananda Reddy and the first cousin Jaganmohan Reddy, moved HC on January 29, 2020, seeking a CBI probe. In August 2022, Sunitha moved Supreme Court seeking a shifting of the murder trial to another state.

In November 2022, the Supreme Court transferred the trial of the murder of former Andhra Pradesh minister YS Vivekananda Reddy from Andhra Pradesh to a special CBI court in Hyderabad. The court observed that a "fair trial was unlikely considering the facts and circumstances put across by the petitioners."

Six prime accused

The CBI, which filed its charge sheet on October 26, 2021, had named four people — Yerra Gangi Reddy, Y Sunil Yadav, G Uma Shankar Reddy, and Shaik Dastagiri, Devireddy Shiva Shankar Reddy, Uma Shankar Reddy, as the prime accused. One accused, Dastagiri, who had worked as a driver for Viveka, turned in as an approver before filing the charge sheet and was granted anticipatory bail by the Pulivendula court.

In his confession statement, the CBI quoted one of the accused, Gangi Reddy, claimed that Avinash Reddy, his father Bhaskar Reddy, and his associate D Shiv Shankar Reddy were also involved in the murder plan.

Earlier, in its chargesheet filed before the court, CBI stated that Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy, along with his associate D Shankar Reddy, propagated a theory that the former minister died due to a heart attack.

After dimissed bail petition filed by Gajjala Uday Kumar Reddy, he was arrested by the CBI on April 14.

Earlier, CBI, during court hearings, argued that Uday Kumar Reddy was a close aide of YS Avinash Reddy, who had destroyed evidence at the murder spot. Further, the CBI argued that Uday Kumar Reddy may tamper with evidence and threaten witnesses. Hence bail may not be granted.

YS Bhaskar Reddy arrested

In connection with the case, Avinash Reddy's father YS Bhaskar Reddy, was arrested by the CBI on April 16. He is the seventh accused to be arrested by CBI. The other accuses are out on bail.

Kadapa MP questioned two times

On January 28, CBI questioned YSRCP Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy for about four hours in Hyderabad. Hours before visiting the CBI office, Avinash Reddy met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's mother, Vijayamma, at Lotus Pond in Hyderabad.

The CBI which has already collected statements of 248 people in connection with Viveka's murder case, questioned Avinash on the basis of these statements. They also went through his call data at the time of Viveka's murder.

The Kadapa MP later skipped three interrogation dates on May 16 and May 19, and May 22. When he was asked to appear on May 22, he sought five days time to appear on May 27, saying his mother has been hospitalised with heart related issues.

He later filed an anticipatory bail petition in the Telangana High Court. CBI urged the Telangana High Court to dismiss the anticipatory bail plea of Avinash Reddy.

However, granting anticipatory bail on May 31, the court had directed Avinash Reddy not to tamper with the evidence, leave the country and appear before the CBI every Saturday. On June 23, CBI questioned him for the second time, declared him as accused number 8 (A8) in the case.

CBI names CM Jagan

The CBI has also named Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and sought an investigation. This is the first time Y S Jagan has been identified in the case. The sleuths of CBI highlighted Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy's name in an additional counter affidavit filed before the Telangana High Court vacation bench.

The CBI stated that CM Jagan is aware of his uncle's YS Vivekananda Reddy's death much before his uncle's PA, who claims to have seen the body first after the murder.

"The investigation on the larger conspiracy aspect revealed that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the present CM of Andhra Pradesh, had been informed about the death of YS Vivekanand Reddy in the early hours of March 15, 2019, much before the information broke out by M.V. Krishna Reddy at around 6:15 am", the additional affidavit read.

CBI said that since Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy was active before and after the commission of the murder, his role in informing about the death of YS Vivekananda Reddy Jagan Mohan Reddy is to be investigated.

CBI files third charge sheet

On June 29, the CBI filed its third chargesheet focusing on the role played by Avinash Reddy, his father YS Bhaskar Reddy and their associate Uday Kumar Reddy in YS Viveka murder.

The chargesheet which was filed in the CBI principal special judge court, added two more accused, MV Krishna Reddy (PA of Vivekananda Reddy) and Yedula Prakash. Total number of accused are 10 now.

According to the petition filed by Viveka's daughter Suneetha Reddy opposing the anticipatory bail granted to Avinash Reddy, he would come up for hearing in the Supreme Court on July 3 and the CBI is likely to seek more time to complete the investigation from the court.