The CBI, which is probing the murder of former Andhra Pradesh minister YS Vivekananda Reddy in Kadapa in March 2019, has listed YSRCP MP YS Avinash Reddy as the accused number eight in the case.
In a counter-petition filed in the special court for CBI cases while opposing the bail to Avinash Reddy’s father Bhaskar Reddy, the CBI declared Avinash Reddy as A8.
The premier investigating agency had earlier called him a co-accused in the case, but had not declare him as an accused.
Meanwhile, the special court for CBI cases will deliver its judgement on the bail plea of Bhaskar Reddy on Friday, 9 June.
Also read: SC moved against anticipatory bail granted to Avinash Reddy
‘Both are involved’
The central investigative agency said both father and son were allegedly involved in the conspiracy hatched to kill Vivekananda Reddy, popularly known as Viveka.
The duo was also responsible for tampering with the evidence. The CBI said that it was has evidence of the involvement of the father and the son in the case.
Both Bhaskar Reddy and Avinash Reddy were attempting to mislead the case and they were also trying to influence the witnesses in the case, the agency said. The CBI had earlier said that a larger conspiracy was hatched to eliminate Vivekananda Reddy.
During the hearing on Bhaskar Reddy’s bail, both the CBI’s public prosecutor and the defence counsel submitted their arguments. The defence counsel sought bail for Bhaskar Reddy in view of his poor health. After hearing the arguments, the court reserved the judgement for 9 June.
The CBI has charged Bhaskar Reddy under Sections 120B (Conspiracy), Murder (302) and 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly playing a crucial role in the case.
Arrested two months ago
The premier investigating agency arrested Bhaskar Reddy in Pulivendula two months ago and since then he has been lodged in Chanchalguda prison as a remand prisoner.
The case is related to the brutal murder of Vivekananda Reddy, a former minister and a former MP of Kadapa constituency, on the intervening night of 14 and 15 March, 2019, at his residence and his body was found in a pool of blood in the bathroom inside his bedroom.
Vivekananda Reddy was the younger brother of the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who was the former chief minister of the erstwile united Andhra Pradesh. Vivekananda was the uncle of both Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and Avinash Reddy.
Related: SC stays Telangana HC order on release of accused Gangi Reddy
The case
Vivekananda Reddy was an MLA of Pulivendula Constituency in 1985 and 1994, and a Member of Lok Sabha from Kadapa Parliamentary Constituency in 1999 and 2004.
He was a member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council in 2009. He served as minister of agriculture and Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Science and Technology, Environment & Forest constituted by the Union government in the year 2005.
After the murder, the police registered an FIR in Pulivendula Urban Police Station with crime number 84/2019 initially under Section 174 Cr.Pc based on the complaint of MV Krishna Reddy, who was the Personal Assistant of the deceased and subsequently the Section of law was altered to 302 IPC.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the then state government probed the case, which was later taken over by the CBI.
The CBI has already questioned Avinash Reddy, Bhaskar Reddy and others allegedly involved in the case.
