'Jagan must have plotted to kill my father-in-law', says Narreddy Rajasekhara Reddy

CBI sources said that Rajasekhara Reddy told the investigators that in Jagan received a cut on his arm after a man attacked him with a blade at Visakhapatnam airport following which he told the media that the blade could have cut his neck but that he quickly responded, and escaped fatal injury.

Kadapa(Andhra Pradesh): Narreddy Rajasekhara Reddy, son-in-law of former Minister late YS Vivekananda Reddy, has alleged that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy could be behind the murder of his father-in-law. According to CBI sources, Rajasekhara Reddy in a statement to the Central agency, claimed that Jagan had premeditated the murder to gain political advantage, in the same way, he staged the blade attack on him in 2018 ahead of the elections. The former Minister, was murdered on March 15, 2019, in his house at Pulivendula.

CBI sources said that Rajasekhara Reddy told the investigators that Jagan received a cut on his arm after a man attacked him with a blade at Visakhapatnam airport following which he told the media that the blade could have cut his neck but that he quickly responded, and escaped fatal injury. The sources said that Rajasekhara Reddy said that after the YSR Congress came to power in Andhra Pradesh in 2019, the two physicians who treated Jagan -- Dr Sambasiva Reddy and Dr Chandrasekhar Reddy -- were appointed as the Chairmen of AP Medical Council and AP Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation respectively.

"They were entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing procurement affairs. This clearly appears to be a well-thought-out plan. So, Jagan must have plotted to kill my father-in-law too for political gain," CBI sources said, quoting Rajasekhara Reddy.

In his statement to the CBI, he further alleged Vivekananda Reddy had no intention of contesting the 2017 MLC elections but agreed upon Jagan's insistence. CBI sources said that Rajasekhara Reddy told the investigators Yerra Gangireddy -- one of the accused in the case -- called him urging him to convince Vivekananda Reddy to contest the MLC polls claiming that TDP leaders Ramasubba Reddy and Adinarayana Reddy have joined hands, and that only Vivekananda could help YSRCP.

"In that election, Viveka lost to BTech Ravi by just 30 votes. I called Yerra Gangireddy and asked why Viveka had lost, to which he replied that internal party members have plotted against Viveka," Rajasekhara Reddy told CBI. "I got to know that Gangireddy had close ties with Avinash Reddy. After the election, Gangireddy bought agricultural lands worth Rs 1 crore in Proddatur, and registered them in his brother’s name," he added.

Elaborating further on the reasons behind Vivekananda Reddy's defeat, Rajasekhara Reddy said M Ravindranath Reddy aka BTech Ravi was his junior in college adding that he told him that he paid Rs 70 lakh to Sivasankar Reddy to work for him against Viveka.

"Sivasankar Reddy joined hands with our relatives Bhaskar Reddy and Avinash Reddy to defeat Viveka in the election. Viveka always spent a lot of money. He donated a lot to charities as well. In order to clear the debt incurred for the election, we sold off two houses and a flat in Hyderabad, and 10 percent stake in a hydropower plant in Himachal Pradesh”, explained Rajasekhara Reddy, sources said.