Financial settlement led to assassination of Viveka, says his ex-driver

KADAPA: Sensitive information has come to light in the assassination of former minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, including those who played a role in his killing. These details have emerged from the Section 164 Confession Statement filed before a magistrate in Proddatur Court by Vivekananda’s former driver Dastagiri.

As per Dastagiri, Vivekananda Reddy was killed because of his involvement in various financial transactions. Here are excerpts from Dastagiri’s statement:

“I worked as a driver at Vivekananda Reddy from February 2017 to December 2018. It was during that time that I came in contact with Yerra Gangi Reddy, Sunil Yadav, Umashankar Reddy and his younger brother Jagadeeshwara Reddy. (Of these) Yerra Gangireddy was the closest to Vivekananda Reddy, who went with him everywhere. In 2017, Vivekananda Reddy came to know that his defeat in MLC elections was due to Gangi Reddy, D. Shankar Reddy, Gajjala Jagadishwar Reddy, Bhaskara Reddy and Avinash Reddy. Vivekananda Reddy was angry with all of them. He even visited the house of Bhaskara Reddy at Pulivendula and expressed his anger.

Between 2017 and December 2018, Vivekananda Reddy visited Bangalore along with Gangi Reddy for a settlement with regard to a land in Yelahanka near a guest house in Bangalore. Yerra Gangireddy was active in this land dispute and was the only one who went to Bangalore several times.  He also introduced Sunil Yadav, Gajjala Umashankar Reddy, broker Peter and Deputy SP Rajesh to Vivekananda Reddy during his visit to Bangalore.

In the statement, Dastagiri alleged that there was some altercation between Yerra Gangireddy and Vivekananda Reddy after the latter found out that Gangireddy was looking to bypass him in the land deal. Gangireddy then conspired to assassinate Vivekananda Reddy.

He said that Umashankar Reddy crushed the dog at Vivekananda Reddy's house under with his Honda Amaze car 20 days before the murder. He then bought an axe in Kadiri. On the night of murder, Sunil Yadav, Gangireddy and Umashankar Reddy knocked on the back door of Vivekananda Reddy’s house. When Vivekananda Reddy asked why they had come, Gangireddy said that there was something important to be discussed. After that Sunil Yadav and Gangireddy grabbed Vivekananda's hands but Vivekananda Reddy hit Sunil Yadav him in the face and the latter fell down. Umashankar Reddy then hit Vivekananda Reddy on the forehead with the axe. After that, they all fled from the house, Dastagiri said in his statement.