CBI grills Kadapa MP's father for 5th day in Viveka murder case

Hyderabad, April 23: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continued questioning Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy's father Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy and their follower Uday Kumar Reddy for a fifth day on Sunday in former minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy's murder case.

The duo was brought from Chanchalguda Jail to the CBI office.

The CBI court had sent them to six-day custody of the central agency last week, which will expire on Monday.

The probe agency officials were questioning the accused about the motive behind the murder.

Bhaskar Reddy was arrested by the CBI on April 16, just two days Uday Kumar Reddy was arrested on April 14 in Pulivendula town of Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh. Both were brought to Hyderabad where a court sent them to judicial custody.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will hear on Monday the petition of Vivekananda Reddy's daughter Suneetha Reddy challenging the Telangana High Court order granting protection to Avinash Reddy from arrest till April 25.

Observing that an "atrocious and unacceptable" order was passed by the high court, a bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice P.S. Narasimha on Friday stayed proceedings before the high court and issued notice on the plea challenging protection to Reddy

The Supreme Court, however, directed the CBI not to arrest the MP till April 24.

Avinash Reddy, cousin of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Redddy, has been appearing before the CBI as per the interm order of the Telangana High Court on his anticipatory bail petition.

Vivekananda Reddy, brother of former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and uncle of Jagan Mohan Reddy, was murdered at his residence in Pulivendula on March 15, 2019, weeks before the elections.

The 68-year-old former state minister and MP was alone at his house when unidentified persons barged in and killed him.

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 Suneetha Reddy, who raised suspicion about some relatives.