Cuddapah (IANS) | Former Andhra Pradesh minister Y.S. Intensifying the probe into the 2019 murder case of Vivekananda Reddy, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) made an important arrest on Friday. CBI’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) G. Udaya Kumar Reddy was arrested from Pulivendula in Cuddapah district. He was succeeded by Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy, who is the nephew of the deceased, has been questioned several times by the agency in recent months.
The CBI team had questioned Uday in the past.
The probe agency is taking Uday to Hyderabad, where a CBI court has been hearing the case since November last year following a Supreme Court directive.
The arrest comes weeks after the Supreme Court directed the CBI to constitute a new Special Investigation Team (SIT) and complete the probe by April 30.
Uday, an employee of a uranium mine at Tummalapalli in Cuddapah district, had filed a private case against CBI SP Ram Singh in a Cuddapah court last year. On the direction of the court, the police registered a case against Ram Singh in February last year following Uday’s complaint that the officer coerced him into giving false testimony in the murder case. However, the Andhra Pradesh High Court later stayed the case against the CBI SP.
The day Vivekananda Reddy was murdered at his residence, Uday had reportedly gone there along with Avinash Reddy and Siva Shankar.
Uday was allegedly the brother of the deceased and Avinash Reddy’s father Y.S. Bhaskar was present at Reddy’s residence.
Former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s brother and current Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s uncle Vivekananda Reddy was murdered at his residence at Pulivendula in Cuddapah district on the night of March 15, 2019, a few days before the elections. ,
The 68-year-old former state minister and ex-MP was alone at his house when unknown people barged into his house and killed him.
The CBI took over the probe in the case in 2020 on the direction of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, while hearing a petition by Sunita Reddy, daughter of Vivekananda Reddy, who had raised suspicions on some relatives.
The Supreme Court had in November last year transferred the case to Hyderabad and said that the doubts raised by Sunitha Reddy about fair trial and investigation in Andhra Pradesh are justified.
The deceased’s brother Bhaskar Reddy and son Avinash Reddy are accused of involvement in the murder. The chief minister’s cousin Avinash has denied the allegations.
–IANS
