KADAPA: Even as the YSR Congress has raised its pitch for CBI inquiry into the murder of former MP YS Vivekananda Reddy, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has intensified its probe by picking up at least six persons, who are closely associated with the slain leader. The letter, which was purportedly written by Vivekananda Reddy accusing his driver of attacking him, was sent to forensic lab for analysis.
SIT chief Amit Garg and his team inspected the house of Vivekananda Reddy in Pulivendula. According to highly placed sources, the police have taken Vivekananda Reddy’s personal assistant MV Krishna Reddy, driver Prasad, cook Lakshmi, her son Prakash, watchman Ranganna and Gangi Reddy, a close associate of the former MP, into custody for questioning.
The five police teams set up to assist the SIT in the probe, is also inquiring the case from various angles, sources said. Investigators are also probing the financial dealings of the slain leader with others and also examining political reasons if any that might have led to the murder.
“Though there were reports that Vivekananda Reddy wanted to contest elections and was not given a chance, the same was ruled out as he was working as an activist of the YSRC to strengthen the party in some key segments like Pulivendula in Kadapa district,” a senior police official said.
Former Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy, against whom the finger of suspicion was pointed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday night, said that he received a phone call from his relative in Hyderabad at 6.30 am on Friday that his uncle died.
SIT picks up six in Viveka murder case
CM Naidu questioned as to how Avinash Reddy got information about Vivekananda Reddy’s death when his personal assistant did not inform him.“I immediately went to the house of Vivekananda Reddy. After seeing his body, we rushed out and at 6.43 am, I made a phone call to the police. We waited for the arrival of police for 15 minutes. Later, we made three calls to the police. The police reached the house at 7.13 am and later the body was shifted to hospital,’’ he claimed.
Avinash also added that he requested the doctors not to conduct postmortem till the arrival of Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter Sunitha from Hyderabad. “It was only after Sunitha’s arrival, the body was thoroughly examined by the doctors and we came to know that it was a murder,’’ he claimed.
“It was the media which circulated widely that Vivekananda Reddy died of cardiac arrest. Police can verify my call data and that of my Personal Assistant as part of their investigation,’’ he said.
Asked whether the letter recovered from the scene of offence contained the handwriting of Vivekananda Reddy, Avinash said he used to see typed matter of his uncle’s correspondence and dealings.
CEO speaks to Kadapa, Kurnool SPs
CEO Gopal Krishna Dwivedi on Saturday spoke to SPs of Kadapa and Kurnool districts and enquired about Pulivendula murder and Kaggal firing. He directed them to focus on effective maintenance of law and order in the two districts to ensure free and fail polls.