Hyderabad: In a major development, the Telangana High Court adjourned the hearing on YSRCP MP Avinash Reddy's anticipatory bail petition till Tuesday allowing the Central Bureau of Investigation to question him after his bail petition is heard at 4 pm. The development comes after CBI summoned the YSRCP MP Avinash Reddy for interrogation on Monday in connection with the high-profile murder case of Vivekananda Reddy.
The murder of former minister Vivekananda Reddy, the brother of the late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and uncle of Jagan Reddy, is one of the most high-profile cases in Andhra Pradesh. Vivekananda Reddy was found dead with stab injuries at his Pulivendula residence on March 15, 2019, just weeks before the state assembly elections.
According to the CBI, Avinash Reddy and his father Y S Bhaskara Reddy were involved in planning the murder. Bhaskara Reddy who according to CBI is the main conspirator behind the murder, was arrested and sent to 10 days of judicial remand on Sunday. The CBI investigation and the testimony of accused turned approver Sheikh Dastagiri.
Also read: Bhaskara Reddy main conspirator in Viveka murder case: CBI
In an effort to prevent CBI from taking any coercive steps Avinash Reddy moved Telangana High Court. During the hearing, Avinash Reddy's lawyer argued that his client's father had already been arrested, and the CBI was saying that there was a possibility of arresting Avinash as well. He reminded the court that the Supreme Court had given a deadline to the CBI to complete the investigation by the end of April. The CBI argued that Avinash Reddy's investigation should continue, stating that evidence related to the murder had been destroyed in his presence. The CBI claimed that it was not relying on Dastagiri's testimony alone and had collected much more evidence in the investigation of Viveka's murder case.
This is the first time Avinash Reddy's statement will be recorded in the case as an accused. So far, the CBI has questioned him four times, but only as a witness in the case. Avinash Reddy alleged that the CBI was “intent on arresting me as an accused” and claimed that he had nothing to do with Viveka's murder. Avinash Reddy's questioning comes a day after the CBI arrested his father YS Bhaskara Reddy, who was arrested on April 16 in Pulivendula and was brought to the CBI judge's residence in Hyderabad to seek his remand.
To prevent any untoward situation, the police have been deployed in strength in and around the CBI office premises, where Avinash Reddy has been summoned for questioning. A large number of his followers and YSRCP workers are expected to assemble outside the CBI office premises, posing a possible law and order situation for the police. In addition, Avinash Reddy has also applied for an anticipatory bail plea in the Telangana High Court, which may come up for hearing at 3 pm on April 18, the same time he has been called by the CBI for questioning.
