Hyderabad: A month earlier than Andhra Pradesh went to election in 2019, when Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was gearing to take over the chief minister’s seat, a brutal homicide rocked the influential YS household. 4 years on, Jagan’s uncle Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy and his son Y.S. Avinash Reddy are below the scanner of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the crime.
Final week, the CBI arrested Bhaskar Reddy from Pulivendula city and named him an accused within the homicide of former Congress MP Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy.
Vivekananda was discovered lifeless below suspicious circumstances at his residence in Pulivendula on 15 March, 2019. His physique bore a number of accidents. Blood was discovered spilled all around the flooring and partitions.
What makes the case gripping is Vivekananda — the youthful brother of Jagan’s father and late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara (YSR) Reddy — was cousin of Bhaskar Reddy and uncle to Avinash, the YSR Congress Get together (YSRCP) MP from Kadapa.
In response to petitions filed by one of many accused, the CBI submitted to the Telangana Excessive Court docket in February that the father-son duo of Bhaskar and Avinash Reddy together with one among their primary accomplices, Siva Shankar Reddy (YSRCP chief and likewise named as an accused), conspired the homicide owing to political rivalry with Vivekananda.
The CBI affidavit has named not less than 5 accused, of which three are below its custody. Whereas the fourth is out on bail, the fifth accused — Vivekananda ’s former driver — turned an approver within the case. Final week, the CBI arrested Avinash Reddy’s one other shut aide, Uday Kumar Reddy.
A Rs 40 crore supari deal was struck for the homicide for which the approver conceded of being paid an preliminary sum of Rs 1 crore by way of a mediator (additionally an accused) on behalf of Avinash and Bhaskar as an advance for executing the crime, the CBI famous.
In March, the Supreme Court docket ordered the CBI to finish the investigation within the case by 30 April.
Avinash had moved an anticipatory bail petition, first in March, within the Telangana Excessive Court docket, which Tuesday refrained the CBI from arresting him until 25 April however allowed his questioning after Reddy moved the court docket once more with an identical petition. Subsequently, the Kadapa MP was grilled for greater than six hours hours over the previous three days.
In its newest submission to court docket Tuesday, the CBI asserted that Avinash performed a job in Vivekananda’s homicide and that it has gathered ‘circumstantial’ proof relating to the identical. ThePrint has a duplicate of the affidavit.
It additional alleged that Avinash was conscious of the homicide, and that he had tried to destroy proof on the crime scene.
The Kadapa MP, in the meantime, has the backing of the Andhra Pradesh authorities. In February, authorities advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy advised a press briefing that Avinash had no function within the homicide and blamed Telugu Desam Get together (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu for influencing the probe officers.
“It might not have turn out to be a problem final time as a result of the loss of life occurred simply earlier than elections. However it can undoubtedly have an effect on the elections this time. It’s more likely to turn out to be a ballot problem,” a supply near the CM advised ThePrint.
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What occurred on fateful day
At round 6 am, Vivekananda was discovered lifeless by his private assistant, home assist and her son. He was mendacity in a pool of blood with seen wounds on his physique. About 2 litre of blood was spilled on the ground, the CBI affidavit stated.
Avinash reached Vivekananda’s residence about half-hour later. He advised a neighborhood chief, who got here to fulfill Vivekananda within the morning, that his kin had died of a ‘coronary heart assault’, the CBI stated.
He additionally referred to as the native circle inspector to tell that Vivekananda died resulting from a coronary heart assault and ‘blood vomiting.’
“Throughout investigation, it was discovered that Avinash, regardless of clearly seeing the accidents current on the physique, the physique mendacity within the pool of blood, and presence of blood all around the bed room, didn’t insist J. Shankaraiah (circle inspector) to succeed in instantly, (and) relatively insisted to ship 3-4 constables for making ‘Bandobast’, stating that Vivekananda died resulting from coronary heart assault and heavy blood vomiting, as if the loss of life had occurred resulting from pure causes,” the CBI stated.
“It signifies that he intentionally supposed to hide the design of homicide of Vivekananda. It additionally signifies that as part of conspiracy, the faux story of coronary heart assault and blood vomiting was floated in a premeditated method to offer it a color of pure loss of life,” its affidavit stated.
The CBI stated that Avinash reached Vivekananda’s residence together with two accused, who’re additionally his shut aides. Cotton bandages have been organized instantly by the accused to wash up and conceal accidents of the sufferer, the affidavit stated.
It additionally raised questions on the function of native police, saying “as an alternative of preserving the scene of offence and conserving the physique intact, on the insistence of some individuals, the physique was shifted from toilet to bed room and it was cleaned and bandaged.”
“…the blood which was pooled within the bed room and toilet was curiously cleaned neatly, clearly to efface the vital proof regarding homicide. Police didn’t evince any curiosity in preserving the crime scene, however tacitly remained as mute spectators,” the CBI famous.
Political rivalry in YS household?
Andhra’s Rayalaseema area is understood for violent faction gangs and bloodthirsty rivalries which can be topics of a number of Telugu films. Former Andhra Pradesh minister Paritala Ravi, former MP Madduri Subba Reddy, MLAs Seshi Reddy and P. Siva Reddy have been assassinated resulting from such rivalries.
In its affidavit, the CBI alleged Avinash, Bhaskar and Siva Shankar Reddy sabotaged the 2017 MLC election and labored in the direction of Vivekananda’s defeat as Shankar wished to contest the MLC seat from Pulivendula division, however Jagan as an alternative gave ticket to Vivekananda.
Vivekananda and the father-son duo had variations over Kadapa seat with the previous in favour of allotting it to Jagan’s sister Y.S. Sharmila or his mom Y.S. Vijayamma, as an alternative of Avinash, the affidavit added.
Pulivendula city is the YS household bastion, with even Jagan contesting from the constituency for Andhra Pradesh Meeting. However, native equations and energy angles are totally different. Vivekananda had clout in Pulivendula, and so did Bhaskar and Avinash.
Vivekananda Reddy had served as Pulivendula MLA, Kadapa MP and state agriculture minister. He even gave up his Kadapa MP seat, which was as soon as held by his brother YSR, for Jagan. Avinash Reddy has been holding the seat since 2014.
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The case up to now
After Jagan took over as CM in 2019, the Andhra Pradesh authorities fashioned a Particular Investigation Group (SIT) to probe the case, but it surely made no important progress regardless of it reportedly analyzing tons of of witnesses.
The CBI took over the case in 2020, after Vivekananda’s daughter Nareddy Suneetha filed a petition citing its gradual progress and failure to determine the culprits. In 2022, Suneetha moved the SC urging the probe be moved to Hyderabad or Delhi on the grounds that witnesses have been being influenced and that Avinash may hamper the probe.
Suneetha additionally famous an individual, questioned by native police, was discovered lifeless. The post-mortem report indicated involvement of exterior or inside accidents, she contended.
She additionally talked about an incident on how when Siva Shankar was produced in a Pulivendula court docket in 2021, Avinash reached the court docket’s premises with numerous followers and threatened the CBI officers.
Jagan, who filed a petition within the excessive court docket searching for switch of probe to the CBI, withdrew it after he got here to energy, she famous.
Avinash advised the media that he was “out of phrases” following his father’s arrest, including that belief should prevail and he would proceed his battle to reveal the reality.
In an anticipatory bail petition, filed earlier this month, he famous that this was a ‘motivated and focused’ investigation in opposition to him.
“The IO (investigating officer) has been treating me as an accused within the crime within the paperwork, which he is aware of are public report and has particularly fashioned an opinion on my alleged participation within the crime even earlier than the primary cost sheet was filed. It’s submitted that the one materials in opposition to me with the IO seems to be the assertion of the approver,” his petition stated, indicating that the CBI didn’t have concrete proof in opposition to him.
It additionally identified how Vivekananda’s son-in-law knowledgeable his private assistant to cover a handwritten letter and a cellphone for some time. And the way, regardless of figuring out about his loss of life first, they didn’t inform the police but it surely was Avinash who alerted the cops.
The CBI has taken cognisance of the letter, which forensic specialists stated matches Vivekananda’s handwriting however added it could possibly be written out of pressure blaming the motive force for his loss of life.
Avinash, in the meantime, additionally pointed to Suneetha’s strained relations together with her father and the way there have been problems with inheritance of property after Vivekananda’s second marriage in 2010 and the start of a kid in 2015.
The CBI had additionally talked about the way it traced location of one of many accused at Avinash’s residence utilizing ‘Google Takeout,’ a day earlier than the crime. The MP had objected, saying the accuracy of the info must be verified.
In the meantime, Vivekananda Reddy’s second spouse Shameem recorded her assertion with the CBI Friday, through which she addressed the friction with Vivekananda’s daughter Suneetha and the way the household by no means accepted their marriage. She additionally alleged that she was threatened by the brother of Vivekananda’s first spouse.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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