Published May 26, 2023 | 7:01 AM ⚊ Updated May 26, 2023 | 7:01 AM
Avinash claimed that a media trial would influence the ongoing investigation and urged the media to behave responsibly. (YS Avinash Reddy/Twitter)
The Telangana High Court on Thursday, 25 May, adjourned the hearing on Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy’s petition seeking anticipatory bail, to 26 May.
The high court’s vacation bench heard the arguments after a direction from the Supreme Court to this effect.
The court, after hearing arguments for some time, said that it would resume hearing the case at 10:30 am. on Friday.
After refusing to allow his petition for protection against arrest by the CBI on the grounds that his mother Sri Lakshmi was not well, the Supreme Court conceded his other plea to ask the high court to take up the hearing of his petition for anticipatory bail as it had been adjourned to 5 June after the court’s vacation.
Meanwhile, the CBI team, which is in Kurnool, refrained from arresting Avinash Reddy, who was attending to his mother at Viswa Bharathi Hospital, since his petition for anticipatory bail was coming up for hearing on Thursday.
It is likely that the CBI will wait for one more day for the high court’s verdict before deciding on its next course of action.
Avinash Reddy is wanted by the CBI in connection with the murder of his paternal uncle and former Andhra Pradesh minister YS Vivekananda Reddy.
Vivekananda Reddy, popularly known as Viveka, was murdered at his Pulivendula residence in the Kadapa district on the intervening night of 14-15 March, 2019.
He was also the the paternal uncle of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
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.
