VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday sought to know from the government as to why it should not hand over the probe into YS Vivekananda Reddy murder case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Hearing a fresh petition filed by Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter Sunitha seeking CBI probe in the case, High Court Justice Durgaprasada Rao reminded that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, when he was the Leader of the Opposition, sought CBI probe into the murder case.
It may be recalled that Jagan, not happy with the investigation by the State police in the case, had approached the High Court for a CBI probe. Vivekananda Reddy, who is Jagan’s uncle, was murdered in his house in Pulivendula on March 15 last year.
Hearing the petition of Sunitha, Justice Durgaprasada Rao, mentioning Jagan’s earlier demand for CBI probe, asked his opinion on handing over the probe to the Central agency. The court also asked the government to file a counter affidavit. Responding to this, counsel for the State government Maheswar Reddy said the probe was coloured with political motives during the previous regime. However, now the probe is going in the right track, he contended.
Counsels for Sunitha and the counsels of other petitioner in the case – BJP leader and former minister C Adinarayana Reddy— disputed the argument of the government counsel and contended that the probe should be handed over to the CBI.
Meanwhile, the CBI and Centre also made their arguments before the court. The CBI counsel said it does not need to file a counter affidavit in the case while the Centre said it would file an affidavit if the court seeks one.Asking the State government to file a detailed affidavit, the High Court adjourned the matter for further hearing on February 6.