The Andhra Pradesh High Court in Amaravati on Monday reserved its order after hearing a petition seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the murder of senior politician YS Vivekananda Reddy.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter Sunitha, and his wife, Sowbhagyamma, who said that the ongoing probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police was inadequate.
Pointing out that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy himself had earlier demanded a CBI probe when he was the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), the petitioner's counsel argued that the doubts raised by him at the time, were still valid.
Jagan had demanded a CBI probe when the murder had taken place, but has since gone back on the demand after he came to power in Andhra Pradesh. The state's counsel had argued in court that the SIT probe was in its final stage and would be concluded soon, and there would be no need for a CBI investigation.
After hearing both sides, the court reserved its order.
During an earlier hearing, the petitioners had named several witnesses who were present at the crime scene and who were also involved in allegedly destroying evidence, and expressed their dissatisfaction at the pace of the investigation.
Vivekananda Reddy, a former MP, was murdered on March 15, 2019 at his home in Pulivendula. The incident had triggered a huge uproar in the state which was witnessing intense political battles before the elections.
While initially it was believed that the politician had suffered a cardiac arrest and succumbed, police confirmed after investigation that the two-time MP was murdered. Vivekananda had injury marks on his head, hands and back.
IANS inputs