HYDERABAD: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday listed Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy as accused no. 8 (A8) in the murder case of former minister YS Vivekananda Reddy.Opposing the bail plea filed by his father YS Bhaskar Reddy with the Telangana High Court, the probe agency, in its counter petition, said that the MP, along with his father, conspired to tamper with evidence, leading to obstruction of the inquiry.
This is the first time that Avinash Reddy has been categorised as an accused, as he was previously treated as a witness and questioned by the CBI on multiple occasions. The Telangana High Court had recently granted the YSRC leader conditional anticipatory bail.
In its counterargument, the CBI stated that they are currently investigating the plot to murder Vivekananda Reddy and the larger conspiracy involving the destruction of evidence. According to officials, N Sivashankar Reddy and Avinash Reddy had spoken to the prime accused, Erra Gangireddy, before 5.20 am on the day of the killing.
The counter petition stated that Avinash Reddy arrived at the murder site within a minute of Sivashankar Reddy’s call. Avinash Reddy, Bhaskar Reddy and Sivashankar Reddy attempted to persuade Vivekananda Reddy’s former driver, Sheik Dastagiri, to withhold information from the CBI and the court, it added.
Furthermore, the probe agency revealed that during their investigation, they discovered that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had prior knowledge of YS Vivekananda Reddy’s death even before it was officially conveyed by MV Krishna Reddy, the deceased’s personal assistant, at around 6.15 am.Based on these facts, circumstances and counterarguments, the CBI has urged the court to reject the bail petition.
MP treated as witness earlier
This is the first time the Kadapa MP has been categorised as an accused. He was previously treated as a witness and quizzed by the CBI on multiple occasions