TDP seeks protection for approver in ex-minister's murder case

Amaravati, May 31:  Andhra Pradesh's principal opposition party Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has demanded security for Sheikh Dastagiri, an approver in the murder case of former minister Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy, uncle of Chief Minister of Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

TDP politburo member Varla Ramaiah on Tuesday urged Director General of Police (DGP) to provide security to Dastagiri.

Ramaiah also stressed the need for protection to the officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) who are investigating the murder case in Pulivendula in Kadapa district.

In a letter to the DGP here, the TDP leader expressed concern that the local Pulivendula leaders were issuing life threats to both the CBI officers and Dastagiri.

He alleged they were doing this with the connivance of the police there. Moreover, the local police were filing false cases against Dastagiri and the CBI officers.

Ramaiah told the DGP that a team of CBI has been investigating into the murder of Vivekananda Reddy as per the orders of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh. "Sheikh Dastagiri has turned into an approver in the murder case and since then he has been facing threats to his life and simultaneously the local police have been filing false cases against him at the behest of the ruling YSRCP leaders," he said.

The TDP leader said that even the CBI team was not spared by the local police for the reasons best known to them. False cases have been filed by the local police against the CBI investigation officer also. Additionally, the driver of the CBI was threatened with dire consequences.

Ramaiah told the AP DGP that all these events had led the people to widely believe that the police were acting at the behest of YSRCP leaders.

Doubts were being raised over the role being played by the top political brass of the state to obstruct the probe, he said.

The TDP leader said it was high time that the police should act impartially against the culprits involved.

Ramaiah warned that in the event of any unfortunate harm either to Dastagiri or to the CBI officers, the state police along with the YSRCP-led government will be held responsible.

Earlier, Dastagiri had also sought security, saying he faces threat to his life.

Dastagiri, who had worked as the driver of Vivekananda Reddy, is accused number four in the sensational case but turned approver.

Vivekananda Reddy, younger brother of former chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, was found murdered at his residence in Kadapa on March 15, 2019, a few days before the elections.

The 68-year-old former state minister and former MP was alone at his house when unidentified persons barged in and killed him. He was killed hours before he was to launch YSR Congress Party's election campaign in Kadapa.

The CBI took over the investigation into the case in 2020 on the direction of Andhra Pradesh High Court while hearing a petition of Vivekananda Reddy's daughter Sunita, who raised suspicion about some relatives.

The CBI filed a chargesheet in the murder case on October 26, 2021 and followed it up with a supplementary chargesheet on January 31, 2022