Hyderabad : The CBI submitted to the Telangana High Court on Thursday that the main accused T. Gangireddy alias Erra Gangireddy played a key role in the conspiracy and execution of Viveka's murder. Gangi Reddy helped to move the accused into the house to kill Viveka and encouraged the accused by promising money for the murder.
The accused were instructed to force Viveka to write a letter to pass on the blame for the murder to others. The CBI told the court that the investigation is at a critical stage and if the prime accused is out on bail at this stage, the investigation will be hampered. The lower court granted compulsory bail to Erra Gangireddy, the main accused in the Viveka murder case, as the charge sheet was not filed within the specified time.
The AP High Court upheld the order and the CBI approached the Supreme Court which said if there is evidence that the accused played a key role in the murder case, the courts have the discretionary power to deny the mandatory bail as per the law. Justice Chillakuru Sumalatha on Thursday heard the CBI's petition to cancel Gangireddy's bail.
The CBI counsel told the court that Gangireddy played a key role in Viveka's murder conspiracy and, after the murder, the evidence was destroyed. Viveka was forced to write a letter so that his driver could be blamed for the murder and the accused were lured by the promise of Rs 40 crores for killing Viveka. Dastagiri's share was mentioned as Rs 5 crore and sent as an advance of Rs 1 Crore, the CBI said.
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Dastagiri refused to participate in the murder but was forced and he was convinced that they have YS Avinash Reddy, YS Bhaskara Reddy, Manohar Reddy, and Sivashankar Reddy with them, the CBI counsel told the court. Gangireddy helped the accused Sunil Yadav, Uma Shankar Reddy, and Dastagiri Viveka to enter the house and the murder was carried out according to a larger plan, the CBI said.
The CBI lawyer further said that Sunil Yadav, Umashankar Reddy, and Sivashankar Reddy are in jail in this case and only the main accused, Gangireddy, is out on bail. "There is no need to grant compulsory bail in murder cases if there is evidence and credible evidence. The Supreme Court said that courts can exercise their discretion and deny bail. Gangireddy's bail should be revoked as the investigation is at a critical stage,'' the CBI said.
A few days before Viveka's murder, there was a conspiracy in Gangireddy's house, said senior lawyer L Ravichander on behalf of Viveka's daughter Sunitha Reddy. The accused do not want Viveka to join YSRCP which is why they worked hard for his defeat in the MLC elections, he said. Despite CI Sankaraiah's objection, the blood stains were wiped away on the spot, the CBI said.
Gangireddy's senior lawyer Dama Seshadrinaidu said that there is no reason to cancel the bail given to Gangireddy by the lower court. Kadapa Sessions Court granted bail while AP High Court also upheld it. The CBI's efforts to cancel the bail were unsuccessful. The Supreme Court did not say that the bail should be cancelled, he said.
