HYDERABAD: Justice Chillakuri Sumalatha of the Telangana High Court on Thursday overturned the default bail granted to Yerra Gangireddy, the main accused in the murder of former minister YS Vivekananda Reddy. The court ordered Gangireddy to surrender to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating the matter, by May 5, 2023. If he fails to comply, the CBI was free to arrest him, the judge said.
Vivekananda, the uncle of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, was brutally killed on the night of March 14 and 15, 2019, at his Pulivendula house in Kadapa. The court stated that the bail would be revoked until June 30 and that the CBI must conclude the investigation within two months. Additionally, the court stated that on July 1, the trial court could grant Gangireddy bail if he signed a Rs 1.5 lakh personal bond.
The court issued the orders after hearing arguments from the CBI’s lawyer, who claimed that Gangireddy plotted and carried out the conspiracy to kill Vivekananda Reddy and had influenced the witnesses. Due to the possibility of further witness tampering, the bail granted to him may be withdrawn, counsel for the CBI said.
Counsel appearing for Gangireddy argued that his client had nothing to do with the murder and that there was no need to cancel his bail. However, the CBI alleged that Gangireddy had political ties that he was using to influence the witnesses. Gangireddy’s attorney also mentioned that the CBI had tried unsuccessfully multiple times to revoke his bail.
On March 28, 2019, Gangireddy was arrested by the SIT appointed to probe the matter. A court in Pulivendula granted him default bail on June 29, 2019, since the SIT failed to submit a chargesheet within the specified time limit. In 2021, the CBI filed a chargesheet against him. The CBI has requested that his bail be revoked since he is the A1 in the case and has the ability to influence the probe. When the AP High Court denied its petition, the CBI approached the Supreme Court, which directed it to TS HC.