KADAPA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a preliminary chargesheet in the murder of case of former minister and YSRC leader YS Vivekananda Reddy in Pulivendula Court on Tuesday. According to sources, CBI officials submitted documentary evidence supporting the chargesheet. The evidence was reportedly brought to the court in 5-6 bags. The investigating agency had arrested two accused — Y Sunil Kumar Yadav and Umashankar Reddy.
During the course of their investigation, the CBI suspected the role of Sunil Kumar Yadav in the murder case and questioned him and his family members a few times. However, Sunil Kumar did not cooperate and later he along with his family members absconded. Special teams were formed to trace him and finally they zeroed in on him in Goa. He was subsequently arrested and produced before Pulivendula court on August 4 and later he was remanded to judicial custody.
With the 90-day time limit for filing chargesheet against Sunil Kumar Yadav ending on November 4, CBI officials filed the chargesheet on Tuesday. If they do not file a chargesheet, the accused will get bail and CBI officials reportedly were apprehensive that once he gets bail Yadhav might not cooperate with the case investigation.
CBI officials, who arrested another accused Umashankar Reddy on September 9, also filed a preliminary chargesheet against him on Tuesday. Pulivendula court is learnt to have directed the CBI to file supplementary chargesheets with full details. Vivekananda Reddy was murdered at his Pulivendula residence on the intervening night of March 14 and 5, 2019.
After it took over the probe in 2020, the CBI grilled hundreds of people associated with the slain leader, including politicians affiliated to the YSRC, TDP and BJP, and also those having business links with Vivekananda Reddy. In August, the CBI had announced Rs 5 lakh reward for those who provide credible information to solve the mystery behind the murder case of Vivekananda Reddy.