Viveka murder remains a mystery despite series of developments

ANANTAPUR: The four-year-long murder case of Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy continues to remain unsolved. After the Supreme Court set April 30 as the deadline for the investigations, the CBI has changed the investigating officer.

on orders of the Supreme Court. While the new IO has arrested Gajjal Uday Kumar for his alleged role in the murder, based on digital evidence compiled on Google Takeout.

The CBI, based on the evidence, continues to maintain that accused Bhaskar Reddy met with the other accused on March 19, 2019, a day before the murder. It has also questioned Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy four times in connection with the case. 

The following is the sequence of events that unravelled:

March 15, 2019: Former minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy is found dead in a bathroom of his residence in YSR Kadapa district’s Pulivendula town. The cause was initially stated to be a cardiac arrest, it was later found to be a murder. Police said that evidence was found tampered.

2020: CBI takes over the case on Supreme Court order, based on a petition filed by the victim’s daughter Dr Suneetha Nareddy.

CBI starts a probe but is unable to trace the axe used in the murder, although it was said to be thrown into a nearby pond.

2022

Feb. 22: Kadapa RIMS police register an FIR against CBI investigation officer Ram Singh, on a complaint filed by Uday Kumar Reddy, an accused

Nov. 29: Kallur Gangadhar Reddy of Anantapur accuses the CBI of bribing witnesses to give evidence against YSRC MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy. SC transfers the case to the CBI special court of Telangana, over a petition filed by Dr Suneetha Nareddy.

2023

March 5: CBI questions Avinash Reddy in Hyderabad; he is summoned for a total of four times.

March 29: New CBI team takes over the case, after the SC ordered a change and directed the completion of the probe by April 30.

April: Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy named seventh accused (A7), while Erra Gangi Reddy is A1. Other accused are Sunil Kumar (A2), Umashankar Reddy (A3), Dastagiri (A4; he had previously turned approver), D. Shiva Shankar Reddy (A5) and Uday Kumar Reddy (A6).