Viveka murder case: Telangana HC adjourns Avinash Reddy’s anticipatory bail plea hearing to 26 May

Also Read: CBI not to arrest Avinash Reddy, adopts wait-and-watch policy

Change of heart

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.

Also Read: Dramatic events in Kurnool: CBI at hospital to arrest Avinash

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.