Viveka murder case: CBI arrests MP Avinash Reddy's father Bhaskar Reddy

ANANTAPUR: The CBI arrested Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy, father of Kadapa YSRC MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy, on Sunday at his residence in Pulivendula in YSR Kadapa district, in connection with its investigation into the 2019 murder of former MP Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy.

The CBI also issued summons to Avinash Reddy to appear before it on Monday. A CBI court in Hyderabad, meanwhile ordered 14 days judicial custody for Bhaskar Reddy who was shifted to the Chanchalguda prison.

Working under a Supreme Court deadline to complete the investigations by April 30, a CBI team led by additional superintendent of police Mukesh Sharma arrested Bhaskar Reddy at his home, as well as Avinash Reddy's PA Raghava Reddy.

A team of about 10 CBI officials arrived in two vehicles at Bhaskar Reddy's residence and served a memo of arrest to his wife, Y.S. Lakshmi. A case has been filed against Bhaskar Reddy under Sections 120(b) (conspiracy), 302 (murder), and 201 (tampering and destroying evidence). Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy and Vivekananda Reddy are both paternal cousins of Bhaskar Reddy; he is a cousin of AP Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The CBI claims that Bhaskar Reddy interacted with all of the accused in Vivekananda Reddy murder at his residence.

Soon after his arrest, the CBI team shifted Bhaskar Reddy to Hyderabad and produced him before the CBI court after a medical examination at Osmania Hospital in the city.

After the news of Bhaskar Reddy's arrest spread, a large number of YSRC leaders and cadres arrived at his residence, and a few of them reportedly tried to prevent it. The CBI team did not allow Bhaskar Reddy to call his lawyer and seized his mobile phone when he tried to make a call. Further, the CBI did not allow Bhaskar Reddy's brother Manohar Reddy into the residence at the time of his arrest.

The CBI team had arrested Avinash Reddy's close aide Udayakumar Reddy on Friday on charges of eliminating evidence of murder from the scene of the crime.
Bhaskar Reddy, along with his son Avinash Reddy, have been accused of conspiracy in the murder of his cousin Vivekananda Reddy, based on a list of suspects submitted by the victim’s daughter Dr Suneetha Nareddy.

Only a few weeks before the 2019 Assembly elections, Vivekananda Reddy was found dead in a pool of blood with stab injuries at his Pulivendula residence on March 15, 2019. A special investigative team (SIT) of the state crime investigation department initially looked into the case.

The investigation was later transferred to the CBI in 2020 on the direction of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, on a petition filed by Vivekananda Reddy's daughter Dr Suneetha, who raised suspicion about the role of some relatives in the murder. Dr Suneetha also petitioned the Supreme Court regarding the delay in the CBI investigation alleging lack of cooperation from the AP government.

The CBI had questioned Bhaskar Reddy for two days in Kadapa a year ago and served notices on him twice to appear before them. Bhaskar Reddy stated his inability to appear before the CBI for the first notice owing to prior engagements, and no investigation was conducted after serving the second notice because the investigation officer was not available in Kadapa on March 12.

After the Supreme Court orders last month over a grossly delayed probe in the four-year-old ongoing case, the CBI changed the investigation team. Ram Singh, a CBI officer, was replaced. The SC questioned the CBI over an inordinate delay in completing a probe into the murder Vivekananda Reddy, directing the agency to complete the probe by April 30.