Viveka murder-accused shifted to Chanchalguda prison

Anantapur: For security and other reasons, the Hyderabad CBI court on Friday ordered that the accused in the Viveka murder case be shifted from Kadapa to the Chanchalguda prison in Hyderabad.

The CBI made a plea to this effect while producing the accused before the court after bringing them from Kadapa. The court was convinced by a submission from the probe agency that this was a sensitive case as the deceased was former minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy.

 The murder case had been transferred to Hyderabad from Kadapa following Supreme Court orders in response to a petition filed by Dr N. Sunitha, daughter of the deceased. She had complained of poor coordination from AP vis-à-vis the trial. The trial at the CBI court began on Friday.

Among the five accused, Erra Gangi Reddy (A-1) was on bail and another accused Dastagiri, driver of Vivekananda Reddy, turned approver, while three others -- Sunil Kumar Yadav, Devineni Shivashnakar Reddy and Uma Shankar Reddy -- were in the judicial custody at the Kadapa central prison.

A few days after the case was transferred to Hyderabad, the crime files were shifted from Kadapa district sessions court to Hyderabad. The CBI court had served notices on all five accused to appear before the court on Friday.

 The central probe agency shifted Sunil Kumar Yadav, Devineni Shivashnakar Reddy and Uma Shankar Reddy to Hyderabad from Kadapa at night on Thursday. An escort vehicle accompanying Uma Shankar Reddy was stuck in traffic. This led to a delay in his appearance before  the court.

The CBI team informed the court about the heavy traffic between Kadapa and Hyderabad and security reasons vis-a-vis bringing the accused from Kadapa to Hyderabad for every day of the trial. The CBI court responded positively and directed the agency to lodge them at Chanchalguda prison. The Court posted the case for further consideration on March 10.