VIJAYAWADA: Raising serious doubts over the death of former minister YS Vivekananda Reddy, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu demanded to know why the evidence at the scene of offence was destroyed if there was no involvement of the family members in the murder.
“Due procedures were not followed in this case. How can the body be shifted to the bedroom from bathroom and to hospital without an inquest being conducted,’’ he questioned during a press meet on Friday evening. Coming down hard on those who held him and his son Lokesh responsible for the murder, he wanted to know why the family members initially claimed it was a natural death due to cardiac arrest despite there were deep wounds on the body and even the brain tissue came out of the head.
Making it clear that he was not saying that the murder was carried out by the family members, Naidu said that the destruction of evidence by them made them suspects in the case. Jagan should answer this, he observed. Naidu said that after failing to establish it as a natural death, the YSRC leaders changed their version after the postmortem report revealed that it was a case of murder.
“With deep wounds on the body with blood everywhere, anyone can understand seeing the body, that it is a clear case of murder and wounds were caused by lethal weapons. Why you (family members) kept it a secret and tried to claim the death was due to a heart attack. How can you move the body and destroy the evidence?’’ Naidu questioned.
He said the incident happened in Vivekananda Reddy’s house and it was Jagan’s family members, who came to know about the incident first and reached the scene of offence.
“It was they who said it was a case of cardiac arrest first and even felt that there was no need for police to register a case. How can they shift the blame on us now?”
Naidu said former MP YS Avinash Reddy made a call to police at 6:40 am informing them of the death and the circle inspector concerned went to the spot at 7.30 am and a complaint of suspicious death was lodged at the police station at 8 am. He opined that it was wrong on part of the investigation officer concerned to allow the body to be shifted without completing the procedures like inquest and collecting evidence from the scene of offence.
Responding to the demand of the YSRC chief for a probe by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the case, he said, “As they have a government favourable to them in Delhi, they are seeking CBI inquiry, so they can escape easily.’’
Condemning the incident, he said such things were not good for democracy and the culprits should be punished.
Raising questions
In spite of the fact that MP YS Avinash Reddy came to know about the death by 6.40 am, why no police complaint was lodged immediately and even there was an attempt to make police believe that it was a natural death. Who murdered and what are the reasons behind it will have to be probed.
How the letter, purportedly written by Viveka was found in the evening despite the incident having come to light in the early hours of the day. You have to answer the people of the State
People should understand what kind of politics would be played by criminals. It is another example. To cover up the crime, they destroyed the evidence in the murder of a family member.