CBI arrests YS Bhaskar Reddy in Viveka case
His supporters tried to block CBI vehicles; his arrest has evoked protests across Kadapa district
Vijayawada: In a major development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Y S Bhaskar Reddy, father of Kadapa MP Avinash Reddy and uncle of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister of Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, in connection with the murder case of his brother and former minister Vivekananda Reddy in the early hours of Sunday in Kadapa.
The arrest led to spontaneous protests by YSRCP activists at Pulivendula, Proddatur, Jammalamadugu and other parts of YSR Kadapa district.
CBI sleuths swooped on the house of Bhaskar Reddy with police escort even as supporters of Bhaskar Reddy tried to block the vehicles in which the officials came to serve the arrest memo to the wife of the accused. This was the fifth arrest made by CBI.
The incident also assumes significance as it came two days after the arrest of G Uday Kumar Reddy, a close follower of Avinash Reddy. The CBI had earlier questioned both father-son duo for their alleged involvement in the sensational murder of Vivekananda Reddy, a former MP, MLA and State Minister and brother of former Chief Minister late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy. There is also speculation that Avinash Reddy, cousin of Jagan Mohan Reddy and a prime accused in the murder case may be arrested anytime by the CBI.
A Supreme Court bench on November 29, 2022 shifted the trial in the case from a Kadapa court to the special court for CBI cases in Hyderabad following a plea by Dr Narreddy Sunitha fearing fair trial is not possible in Andhra Pradesh due to intimidation of witnesses by the accused and threatening of the officials investigating the case. She had strongly pleaded for shifting of the trial from Andhra Pradesh to any other State.
Later the Supreme Court set April 30 as the deadline to complete the investigation. CBI counsel N Nagendhar during counter arguments in Telangana High Court in the case challenging anticipatory bail to Shaik Dastagiri, fourth accused in the case, informed that the investigation team is working towards completing the probe as per the directive of the apex court. A local court in Kadapa has approved Dastagiri’s plea to become approver which was challenged by Bhaskar Reddy and M V Krishna Reddy in the high court.
Vivekananda Reddy, 68, was found in a pool of blood days before the general elections at his home at Pulivendula. The CBI alleged a political conspiracy in killing him following differences among his families over putting up a candidate for Kadapa Lok Sabha seat. It is alleged that a supari of Rs 40 crore was paid to the killers.
The case took a political twist with TDP leaders including former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu alleging that Jagan Mohan Reddy was visiting Delhi and meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah frequently to bail out Avinash Reddy and his father Bhaskar Reddy from the murder case.