Viveka murder case: ₹40 crore ‘supari’ offered by accused, CBI tells Telangana High Court

The investigators strongly suspect the role of YSRCP MP YS Anivash Reddy and his father YS Bhaskar Reddy in the case.

BySouth First Desk

Published Feb 23, 2023 | 8:30 PMUpdatedFeb 24, 2023 | 8:51 AM

Viveka murder case Avinash Reddy

The CBI, which is probing the murder of former Andhra Pradesh MP YS Vivekananda Reddy at his residence in Kadapa in March 2019, has said that a ₹40 crore “supari” (murder contract) was offered to the accused to eliminate him.

With the central investigating agency conducting a detailed probe after the sensational murder case was transferred to it, more skeletons appear to be tumbling out of the closet.

The agency told the Telangana High Court on Wednesday, 21 February, that it suspects the role of YSRCP MP YS Anivash Reddy and his father YS Bhaskar Reddy in the case.

The father-son duo hatched the plot and sheltered the accused, and their associate Devireddy Siva Shankar Reddy played a crucial role in erasing the evidence, according to the CBI.

Vivekananda Reddy was the paternal uncle of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

CBI opposes bail

In a response filed before the court to oppose bail to Sunil Yadav, an accused in the case, the CBI said that granting him bail was not proper since he played a crucial role in the murder.

“At the same time, there will be more attacks on the house of Dastagiri, another accused in the case, and witnesses will hesitate to depose evidence before the court if bail is granted to Sunil. After the murder of Vivekananda, Sunil Yadav fled to Goa and if bail is granted, he will vanish again,” said the CBI.

Therefore, the bail petition filed by Sunil Yadav should be rejected, it added.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court transferred the sensational Viveka murder case to the CBI in March 2020.

Related: CBI grills Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy for 4 hours

The case

Vivekananda Reddy — brother of late Congress strongman and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy — was found dead with injuries on his body under suspicious circumstances at his Pulivendula residence on 15 March, 2019, days before the general elections.

In a charge sheet filed before the court earlier, the CBI stated that Avinash Reddy, along with his associate Siva Shankar Reddy, propagated a theory that Vivekananda Reddy had died of a heart attack.

The CBI said Bhaskar Reddy and Avinash Reddy bore a grudge against Vivekananda after failing to get a ticket for their associate Siva Shankar Reddy in the MLC elections in 2017.

Siva Shankar Reddy also bore a grudge against Vivekananda Reddy for failing to extend support to him during the sarpanch elections in Kadapa, the central agency added.

According to the CBI, since Vivekananda Reddy became active in politics before the elections in 2019, the enmity between him and Bhaskar Reddy’s family increased.

Related: SC cites ‘fundamental right to get justice’ as it transfers murder trial 

Murdered over MLA ticket?

The CBI also said Vivekananda Reddy tried to get a Kadapa MP ticket other family members during the parliamentary elections in 2019 and an MLA ticket to Avinash Reddy from the Jammalamadugu Assembly constituency.

On coming to know about it, Bhaskar Reddy and Avinash Reddy allegedly hatched a plan, said the CBI, adding that Gangireddy, one more accused in the case, assisted them in the crime.

In November 2022, the Supreme Court transferred the trial of the murder case from Andhra Pradesh to the Special CBI Court in Hyderabad.

The transfer order was issued based on a petition filed by Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter, Suneetha Narreddy, who expressed fear that the case would be sabotaged.