HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court dismissed a petition that sought to cancel the anticipatory bail granted to Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy, an accused in the YS Vivekananda Reddy murder case. The petition was filed by Shaik Dastagiri, an accused-turned-approver in the case.
Justice K Lakshman, who had reserved orders on the petition last month, delivered the verdict. Furthermore, the court has also granted bail to Avinash Reddy’s father, YS Bhaskar Reddy, in connection with the same case. Initially, Bhaskar Reddy was granted interim bail on health grounds. However, the court has refused to grant bail to other accused individuals, G Uday Kumar Reddy and Yadati Sunil Yadav.
In his petition, Dastagiri alleged threats and intimidation by Avinash Reddy’s associates, claiming they aimed to influence his deposition in favour of the MP. The CBI on the other hand asserted that Avinash Reddy wielded significant influence and had managed to sway certain witnesses in the case. The agency highlighted several complaints lodged by Dastagiri regarding threats to himself and his family members, stating that Avinash Reddy had breached the conditions of his bail.
Notably, YS Sunitha Reddy, Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter, contested the anticipatory bail for Avinash Reddy. Avinash’s counsel argued that Dastagiri was already under protection through the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018.
Avinash Reddy, who is seeking re-election from Kadapa as the candidate of the YSRCP in the upcoming May 13 election, was initially granted anticipatory bail by the high court on May 31, 2023. Avinash is a cousin of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy. He had approached the high court for anticipatory bail after failing to appear before the CBI three times.
The case revolves around the murder of former Minister and MP Vivekananda Reddy, brother of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and uncle of Jagan Mohan Reddy. Vivekananda Reddy was murdered at his residence in Pulivendula town in Andhra Pradesh on March 15, 2019, weeks before elections.