Vivekananda's second wife may move TS High Court

ANANTAPUR: Shamim, the second wife of assassinated former minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, on Friday made a statement to the CBI, in relation to the murder, and spoke about her her love affair, marriage and disputes with the first wife of the victim, her family members and relatives.

Shamim also informed the CBI that she couldn’t see Vivekananda Reddy’s body as she was cowed down by a threat from Shivaprasad Reddy, brother of the victim’s first wife Sowbhagyamma.

Shamim, a post graduate in 2005, said that she had approached Vivekananda Reddy for a recommendation letter through her relatives for a job. She could not get the job. When he heard of this, Shamim said, Vivekananda Reddy directly went to the company to recommend her case. At that time, Shamim said, he was “impressed” by her for questioning him about his habit of smoking cigarettes.

In 2008, Shamim said, Vivekananda Reddy proposed to her but she turned him down as it would be an injustice to another woman. She accepted the proposal after two years.

“We got married on October 3, 2010, and for a second time in 2011. I gave birth to Sehansha in 2015,” she stated.

She said the first wife Sowbhagyamma’s family members and relatives were against the marriage.  “Sowbhagyamma’s brother Shivaprakash Reddy threatened our family members several times to keep away from Vivekananda Reddy.”

“Even Suneetha threatened that she would stay away from her father,” Shamim said, referring to Dr Suneetha Nareddy, daughter of the victim.

She alleged that Dr Nareddy’s husband had an eye on the properties of Vivekananda Reddy while Shivaprakash Reddy was power-hungry. Though Vivekananda Reddy planned to purchase four acres in the name of his son Shehansha, Shivaprakash Reddy resisted.

“Even his own family members kept Vivekananda Reddy away and cancelled his power to issue bank cheques. Vivekananda Reddy faced a financial crisis. He hoped for a RS 8 cr profit in a Bengaluru land settlement case. Even a few hours before the murder, my husband spoke to me over phone and informed me that he was expecting the Rs 8 cr profit,” Shamim told the CBI.

Speculation is rife that Shamim would file an implead petition in the TS High Court on Monday in connection with the ongoing investigations into the murder case.