Amaravati: An accused-turned-approver in the murder of Vivekananda Reddy, former Andhra Pradesh minister and uncle of Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, has made shocking revelations before the court in the case over how Vivekananda's murder was planned for more than a month.
Shaik Dastagiri, an accused in YS Vivekananda Reddy murder, which took place on March 15, 2019, has told the court that Erra Gangireddy, another accused in the case, upon knowing that the night watchman at Viveka’s residence would not be on duty on March 13,14 and 15 in 2019, had planned to murder him on one of those days.
He added that Bhaskar Reddy, father of Kadapa MP Avinash Reddy and one Sivasankar Reddy had promised him a large sum of money to murder Viveka. Later, Viveka was found murdered on March 15, 2019, at his Pulivendula residence.
In 2020, the CBI took over the investigation on the directions of the Andhra Pradesh High Court. The agency filed the charge sheet for the murder on October 26, 2021, and the supplementary charge sheet on January 31. Five people were arrested in the case of which Gangireddy has been granted bail by the court.
Investigators are suspecting the role of MP YS Avinash Reddy, cousin of CM Jagan Reddy. Spilling more beans into the case, Dastagiri told the court that the victim's personal assistant MV Krishna Reddy had informed Gangireddy that P Rajasekhar, who worked as a night watchman at Viveka’s residence, would be off duty on 13,14 and 15 March in 2019. “So, Gangireddy told me, Sunil Yadav and Umashankar Reddy to kill Viveka on one of those days,” Dastagiri said.
“Viveka’s murder was planned on February 10, 2019, at Gangireddy’s house. I warned Gangireddy about night watchman Rajasekhar and the guard dog Jimmy. He replied that he spoke with Krishna Reddy, Viveka’s PA”.
"Then, from March 1, Gangireddy would follow Viveka everywhere and inform his whereabouts to us”, said Dastagiri. Dastagiri further alleged that a couple of days after Erra Gangireddy asked him to murder Viveka, Sunil Yadav gave him Rs 1 crore. “I asked him where he got that money from. He replied that he got it from Erra Gangireddy through Devireddy Sivasankar Reddy. I contacted Sunil to decide about the murder. He took me to Gangireddy’s home and telephoned Sivasankar Reddy from there. Sivasankar Reddy told me, ’Do as Gangireddy instructs you to”.
Continuing further, Dastagiri said that at Gangireddy’s home, Sivasankar told him, “We would have you back, right? Don't have any doubts.” He further said that after the CBI took up Viveka’s murder case, Sunil, Umashankar Reddy, along with him met Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy’s father YS Bhaskar Reddy, and Devireddy Sivasankar Reddy at Eswaraiah Thota.
“We were worried after the case had been handed over to the CBI. They told us that they would take care of it, and promised us money,” added Dastagiri. He further said, “The CBI sent me a notice to appear for trial on March 3, 2020, in Delhi."
The approver also said he showed the notice to Sivasankar Reddy at Bayyapureddy’s house where the two told him, '‘No matter how they interrogate, don’t let our names come out! We will give you as much money you want. It will make your life”.
He said that the duo had told him that one Bharat Yadav will accompany him to Delhi who would share with them the details of the CBI investigation. “After Bharat stayed with me in Delhi for a few days, he suspected that the CBI would be tipped off. So, he went back to Pulivendula,” Dastagiri said.
“Though I stayed for two and a half months in Delhi, I did not reveal their names to the investigating officials. After I returned to Pulivendula, they asked me if I told anything during the interrogation,” he added. He said when the CBI officials questioned him in Kadapa, “I told them the truth.
I later testified the same at Proddatur court after which Bharat Yadav and Sivasankar Reddy met me. They wanted to know what I had testified to the magistrate. “Fearing my life, I had not revealed anything. I told them that I had spoken only about the MLC election,” said Dastagiri.
He said that Bharat Yadav told him that Avinash Reddy had asked him to visit him at Thota.
Going back to the murder, Dastagiri said that on the night of Viveka’s murder, Gangireddy asked Viveka to pay his due for a land settlement in Bengaluru to which Viveka replied, “Why do you ask for that money? MP election is coming up. If we invest there, we could get more returns, I’ll pay you then”.
“After finishing off Viveka, I went to the bathroom at YS Rajareddy Hospital and washed bloodstains off my clothes”, said Dastagiri.
