KADAPA: Probe into the murder of former MP YS Vivekananda Reddy intensified with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Thursday questioning TDP MLC M Ravindranath Reddy alias B Tech Ravi, a close aide of the slain leader.
Apart from BTech Ravi, others who appeared for questioning on the day were former MLC C Narayana Reddy, elder brother of BJP leader and former minister in the previous TDP government C Adinarayana Reddy, and K Parameshwar Reddy.
The three appeared before the SIT, which is operating from the Police Training Centre (PTC) in Kadapa, in the morning and were questioned till evening.
After coming out of the PTC, Narayana Reddy said he received a call from Kondapuram circle inspector Sriram Srinivas to appear before the SIT for questioning. “I assume that the SIT had called me for questioning as I had won against Vivekananda Reddy in the MLC elections,’’ he told media.
“The SIT may have called me for questioning as I belong to Pulivendula constituency and have knowledge of the developments in the constituency,’’ he said, adding that he gave all the information he had on the issue to the police and expressed hope that the real culprits could be caught soon.
Ravi said the police asked him about his whereabouts on the day of the murder of Vivekananda Reddy. Stating that he told the investigators that he would cooperate in the investigation, Ravi said he did not have any evidence related to the case.
Though the previous Kadapa SP Abhishek Mohanty had conducted an extensive investigation, he was never summoned for questioning, he observed.
Ravi also said that party supremo and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had never said that the police were trying to implicate TDP leaders in the case, but had only demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Viveka’s murder if the State police failed to crack the murder mystery.
Narayana Reddy said he appeared before the police as per the directions of the SIT officials and that he would cooperate in the investigation. “I hope the investigation continues in a fair and transparent manner,’’ he said.