Viveka murder case: Standoff over Avinash Reddy arrest continues in Kurnool, police move to secure hospital

The court said: “As no orders were passed on our direction on 24 April that the anticipatory bail plea be heard by the high court, we direct the petition be placed before the next Vacation Bench on 25 May.”

Avinash Reddy has been attending to his mother Sri Lakshmi in the hospital since 19 May, after she complained of cardiac pain.

It was the day he had been summoned to the CBI office in Koti, Hyderabad, for questioning. He did not go, nor did he go when summoned next on Monday, 22 May — prompting the CBI to arrive in Kurnool to apparently effect an arrest.

The CBI is seeking to arrest Avinash Reddy in connection with the sensational murder of his uncle and former Andhra Pradesh minister YS Vivekananda Reddy, popularly known as Viveka.

Viveka, who is also the paternal uncle of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, was murdered in his Kadapa house on the intervening night of 14-15 March, 2019, and the CBI contends Avinash and his father, Bhaskar Reddy — who is already in custody — had a hand in the murder.

Related: In fresh notice, CBI asks Avinash Reddy to report to its office

Local police move in

By evening on Tuesday, a large contingent of the local police has been posted at the hospital to prevent any breakdown of law and order in the event of the CBI arresting Avinash Reddy. The YSRCP activists were also present in equal strength, waiting for the first sign of action from the CBI.

Police ‘rope party’ arriving to secure the area arouund the Viswa Bharathi Hospital in Kurnool. (Supplied)

Sources told South First that there are two teams of CBI officers in the city.

One is at the Polie Guest House close to the residence of the Kurnool SP G Krishna Kanth, and the other team is moving around the city assessing the mood of the YSRCP activists and their strength should they decide to move Avinash Reddy from the hospital.

As the day wore on, YSRCP legislators Hafiz Khan (Kurnool), J Sudhakar (Kodumuru), Katasani Rambhupal Reddy (Panyam), and Kurnool Mayor BY Ramaiah continued to camp at the hospital in an expression of support to Avinash Reddy and also to galvanise the party cadres into action, should the need arise.

In the evening, a “rope party” also arrived at the hospital, suggesting the police were there to ward off trouble when the CBI officials arrest Avinash Reddy.

There was, however, also talk that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan’s wife Bharathi — who is Avinash Reddy’s cousin — was likely to visit his ailing mother Sri Lakshmi, and that the rope party was posted at the hospital to ward off crowds when she arrived there.

Also read: Telangana HC denies Avinash anticipatory bail citing SC order

Siege since 19 May

When Avinash Reddy accompanied his mother in an ambulance to Viswa Bharathi Hospital and had her admitted there on 19 May, YSRCP workers and his supporters began gathering around the institution.

YSRCP workers sitting outside the Viswa Bharathi Hospital in Kurnool to ‘protect’ Avinash Reddy from arrest by the CBI. (Supplied)

They apprehended that the CBI might swoop in, as Avinash Reddy skipped the CBI’s interrogation earlier in the day and rushed to Pulivendula to see his mother.

In fact, Avinash, on his way to Pulivendula, met his mother’s ambulance while it was on its way to Hyderabad somewhere near Tadipatri in the Anantapur district.

Avinash then shifted to the ambulance and decided that she be admitted to Viswa Bharathi Hospital in Kurnool, which is run by a doctor who hails from Pulivendula. The doctor’s family is close to Avinash Reddy’s.

Though the CBI acceded to his request to postpone the interrogation for some time as his mother was not well and was under treatment at the hospital, it asked him to appear before it on 22 May. But the MP wrote back to them saying that he wanted more time and has been with his mother at the hospital since then.

The only time Avinash Reddy has shown his face to the party workers was while seeing off Chief Minister Jagan Mohan’s mother YS Vijayamma on Monday evening.

Vijayamma had driven down to Kurnool to see Avinash’s mother Sri Lakshmi as both families are related. He came out of the hospital along with her and saw her off at the main gate, before returning inside.

Though YSRC workers have been camping around the hospital for the last four days, they have been in overdrive since Monday night when a move by the CBI to arrest Avinash Reddy appeared imminent.

Also read: 2020 statement by YS Vivekananda’s 2nd wife surfaces

CBI officials in Kurnool

The CBI officials reached Kurnool early on Monday, but by then the entire hospital area was swarming with YSRCP workers who had arrived from Kadapa, Pulivendula, and Jammalamadugu, besides the local cadres.

They had taken control of the hospital and occupied the fifth floor of the building. A group of workers spread carpets at the main gate of the hospital and sat there, preventing anyone from entering the premises.

As the situation was becoming highly volatile at the hospital with YSRCP crowds moving all over the premises and in the park outside, some patients, scared of what would happen to them, left in search of safer hospitals.

Medical shops, other commercial establishments, including diagnostic centres, in the area have shut down fearing trouble.

Help sought from local police

Observing the scene at the hospital, the CBI team sought the help of the local police who, till then, according to eye-witnesses, remained mute spectators to the unfolding drama.

Two IPS officers and about five staff of the CBI drove to SP Krishna Kanath’s residence and were closeted with him, seeking support and help in arresting Avinash Reddy.

They also reportedly gave in writing that they wanted to arrest Avinash Reddy, and sought police help.

But the SP is reported to have told them that he could arrange a police escort for them while arresting the MP and till they leave the borders of Kurnool district, but arresting Avinash for them was not his job.

The CBI must itself arrest Avinash Reddy as it was their case and the local police could only help them in this regard, he is understood to have conveyed to the officers of the central investigative agency.

The CBI officials remained there and, later in the night, some of the officials left. An SP rank officer, Vikas Singh, arrived in Kurnool on Tuesday morning, but no one knows what moves the CBI will now make in its bid to arrest Avinash Reddy.

The atmosphere around the hospital continues to remain surcharged, with the YSRC workers as aggressive as ever with leaders like Jammalamadugu MLA Mule Suddheer Reddy egging them on to use physical force if anyone tries to video record the proceedings or tries to enter hospital premises.

Case in a nutshell

Vivekananda Reddy was murdered in his bathroom in his house in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh in 2019.

Bhaskar Reddy and Avinash Reddy’s names figured in the murder case that created a sensation before the Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh in 2019.

Bhaskar Reddy has been charged under Sections 120B (conspiracy), 302 (murder), and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as he played a crucial role in the case, according to the CBI.

The CBI also said that a ₹40 crore “supari” (contract to kill) was offered to the accused to eliminate Viveka.

The Supreme Court last November transferred the case from Andhra Pradesh to a Special CBI Court in Hyderabad for investigation and trial into the conspiracy behind the murder case.

The apex court’s decision came on a petition by Viveka’s daughter, Dr Narreddy Sunitha Reddy, who had in the past alleged that Avinash Reddy was hampering the CBI probe.

Sunitha Reddy was also instrumental in having the investigation, which was being probed by a Special Investigation Team set up by the Andhra Pradesh police, transferred to the CBI.

Meanwhile, the CBI, in its counter filed in the high court, opposing anticipatory bail to YSRCP MP Avinash Reddy, mentioned about his mobile phone calls from 6 pm on 14 March to 8 am on 15 March in 2019.