In a major setback to YSRCP MP YS Avinash Reddy, the Telangana High Court on Friday, 28 April, made it clear that it could not interfere in the case related to the murder of his uncle and former MP YS Vivekananda Reddy given the clear directions of the Supreme Court.
The CBI, which is probing the case, can do its work, said the court, adding that anticipatory bail could not be granted at this juncture.
The petitioner’s counsel urged the court to issue a stay from taking any action until the final order on the anticipatory bail petition.
Related: Telangana HC gives CBI two-month deadline to complete probe
‘Cannot interfere’
The court, however, posted the matter for 5 June. It also asked Avinash Reddy’s counsel to mention the case before the vacation bench because of the summer holidays and advised not to put pressure to take up the case on an emergency basis.
The court made these observations while responding to the anticipatory petition filed by Avinash Reddy.
In its interim order given on 18 April, the court directed the CBI not to arrest him till 25 April and asked him to appear for questioning as and when the CBI called him. The petition again came up for hearing on 28 April.
Meanwhile, the CBI produced four persons — Y Gangi Reddy, Sunil Yadav, Uma Shankar Reddy, and Shiva Shankar Reddy — who were arrested earlier, before the special court for CBI cases after which the court posted the matter for 2 June. Avinash Reddy’s father YS Bhaskar Reddy is still in judicial remand.
On his part, Avinash Reddy appeared before the CBI half a dozen times at its office in Koti earlier and attended questioning for hours in connection with the murder of Vivekananda Reddy.
Related: Video of Avinash Reddy explaining Viveka murder case goes viral
The case so far
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Avinash’s video went viral on social media platforms in which he questioned Vivekananda’s daughter and son-in-law as to why they hid the suicide letter left by Vivekananda and why they had not handed it over to the police.
Avinash Reddy’s father YS Bhaskar Reddy was arrested on 16 April and was 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.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s paternal uncle Vivekananda Reddy — popularly known as Viveka — was murdered at his residence in Kadapa on the intervening night of 14 and 15 March, 2019.
Soon after Vivekananda Reddy’s death, 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.
The probe agency believes he had spoken to the accused before and after the murder.
According to the CBI, the father and son hatched the plot to murder Vivekananda Reddy and sheltered the accused.
Their associate Devireddy Shiva Shankar Reddy played a crucial role in erasing evidence, the CBI said in a response filed before the court to oppose the bail of Sunil Yadav, who is an accused in the case.
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.
