India News | Kadapa MP's Role Suspected in Uncle's Murder, CBI Says It's Probing
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. : Former Andhra Pradesh Minister Y S Vivekananda Reddy was murdered as a result of a well-planned conspiracy and the role of sitting Kadapa MP Y S Avinash Reddy is still being investigated, the Central Bureau of Investigation has said.
Amaravati, Feb 15 (PTI): Former Andhra Pradesh Minister Y S Vivekananda Reddy was murdered as a result of a well-planned conspiracy and the role of sitting Kadapa MP Y S Avinash Reddy is still being investigated, the Central Bureau of Investigation has said.
The CBI filed a charge sheet in the murder case on October 26, 2021 and followed it up with a supplementary charge sheet on January 31, 2022.
The charge sheet became public on Tuesday.
Vivekananda Reddy, younger brother of late AP Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and uncle of incumbent Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, was found murdered in his residence at Pulivendula on March 15, 2019.
On the directions of the High Court, CBI took over investigation of the case in 2020.
The CBI so far arrested five accused in the case.
"Investigation revealed that Vivekananda Reddy was murdered as a result of well-planned conspiracy by T Gangi Reddy alias Yerra Gangi Reddy and Shaik Dastagiri, Yaditi Sunil Yadav and Gajala Uma Shankar Reddy, who all had separate and personal grudges/ motives to be a part of the conspiracy of murder," the CBI said in the first charge sheet.
Dastagiri, who once worked as driver of Vivekananda, later turned approver and gave a confessional statement before the Junior Civil Judge, Proddatur.
Citing the confessional statement, the CBI said the murder was executed by Gangi Reddy, with the help of Sunil Yadav, Uma Shankar Reddy and Dastagiri.
The conspiracy for murder was hatched by Gangi Reddy a month prior to the offence.
"Gangi Reddy told that D Siva Shankar Reddy and some senior politicians are also involved in this plan of murder and Shankar Reddy would give them Rs 40 crore. Gangi Reddy also told them that Shankar Reddy and his close senior politicians will handle everything," the CBI said in the charge sheet.
The CBI said investigation revealed that the deceased (Vivekananda) was favouring ticket for himself or Y S Sharmila (sister of Jagan) or Y S Vijayamma (Jagan's mother) instead of incumbent MP Avinash Reddy (from Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency). Avinash is a cousin of Jagan.
"Hence it is suspected that MP Avinash Reddy has got him (Vivekananda) killed through his henchman D Siva Shankar Reddy, a leader of the ruling YSR Congress party. Investigation on this aspect is still underway," the CBI added.
The CBI arrested Shankar Reddy in November last year and filed the supplementary charge sheet against him.
The CBI said Shankar Reddy offered Rs 10 crore to one K Gangadhar Reddy for taking responsibility of Vivekananda's murder.
The Central agency said further investigation in the case would continue to find out the role of other accused persons in the destruction of scene of crime and further larger conspiracy of murder.
It so far named 248 persons as witnesses in the case and attached their statements.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)