VIJAYAWADA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in its chargesheet filed before court in the murder case of former minister YS Vivekananda Reddy, has stated that Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy, along with his associate D Shankar Reddy, propagated a theory that the former minister died due to heart attack.
The CBI said the deceased was favouring a ticket (Kadapa Lok Sabha) for himself or YS Sharmila (sister of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy) or YS Vijayamma (Mother of Jagan Mohan Reddy), instead of Avinash Reddy. “Hence, it is suspected that Avinash Reddy got him (Vivekananda Reddy) killed by his henchman D Shankar Reddy,’’ the agency said, adding that investigation in that direction is underway.
In the chargesheet filed naming four persons as accused in October 2021, the CBI narrated the sequence of events that unfolded on March 15, 2019, the day Vivekananda Reddy was found dead in his house at Pulivendula in Kadapa.
According to the CBI, Vivekananda Reddy’s personal assistant MV Krishna Reddy came to Vivekananda Reddy’s house around 5.30 am and found that the latter was sleeping. He called up Vivekananda Reddy’s wife Sowbhagyamma. She told Krishna Reddy that her husband returned home late in the night and might be sleeping. Sometime later, Krishna Reddy and cook Lakshmamma went to the rear side of the room and knocked on the window shade and door to wake up Vivekananda Reddy, but there was no response. Watchman Ranganna was asked to go into the room and Vivekananda was found dead in the room.
The chargesheet said the information was passed on to the family members and others and it was Inayatullah, typist of the deceased, who reached the house first followed by Avinash Reddy, who came along with D Shankar Reddy and their close associates. They saw Vivekananda lying dead in a pool of blood in the bathroom.
“Avinash and Shankar immediately propagated a theory that Vivekananda Reddy died of a heart attack. In the meantime, YS Bhaskar Reddy, YS Manohar Reddy, YS Pratap Reddy (all relatives of Vivekananda) and Y Gangi Reddy reached the scene of crime. Investigation revealed that the theory of heart attack was discussed among Shankar Reddy, Gangi Reddy, Bhaskar Reddy, Manohar Reddy and Avinash, subsequently,’’ the chargesheet said.
Further, the CBI said the bedroom and washroom were cleaned by Gangi Reddy, Shankar Reddy and others through the servants. “Thereafter, bandages were applied on all the wounds and the body was shifted in an ambulance to the government hospital in Pulivendula,’’ the chargesheet said. The CBI said the postmortem report suggested that the injuries on Vivekananda’s body were caused by a sharp-edged weapon, possibly by an axe.
“It is also opined that the injuries mentioned in the postmortem report were sufficient to cause death, and the death of Vivekananda Reddy seems to be homicidal in nature,’’ the CBI said. The chargesheet said Vivekananda was murdered as a result of a well-planned conspiracy of Yerra Gangi Reddy and other known persons of the deceased, including the former minister’s former driver Shaik Dastagiri, Y Sunil Yadav and Gajjala Uma Shankar Reddy, who all had separate and personal grudges/motives against Vivekananda Reddy.
The CBI said the plan to murder Vivekananda was made around February 10, 2019 in the house of Gangi Reddy. Gangi Reddy was scolded by Vivekananda after the latter unsuccessfully contested the MLC elections in 2017, and also on several other occasions. “Gangi Reddy was on good terms with the political rivals of the former minister. Gangi Reddy also expected a share of Rs 8 crore in a land settlement done by Vivekananda, but the latter did not give him any share,” the CBI said.
“Sunil Yadav suspected that the deceased had an immoral desire towards his mother,’’ the CBI said. Another accused, G Uma Shankar Reddy, felt that Vivekananda never gave him any political space in the village sarpanch election. Dastagiri was removed from service as driver, by Vivekananda.
What CBI said
Injuries were caused by a sharp-edged weapon, possibly an axe
Injuries sufficient to cause death: postmortem report
Death of Vivekananda Reddy seems to be homicidal in nature
Conspiracy
Vivekananda Reddy was murdered as a result of a well-planned conspiracy of Yerra Gangi Reddy and other known persons
The other accused are Veiveka’s former driver Shaik Dastagiri, Y Sunil Yadan and Gajjala Uma Shankar Reddy, who all had separate and personal grudges/motives against Vivekananda
CBI said the plan to murder Vivekananda was made around February 10, 2019 in the house
of Gangi Reddy