Former Andhra Pradesh Minister YS Vivekananda Reddy was murdered as a result of a well-planned conspiracy and the role of sitting Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy, who is also Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s cousin, is still being investigated, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has said. The CBI filed a charge sheet in the murder case on October 26, 2021 and followed it up with a supplementary charge sheet on January 31, 2022.
The charge sheet became public on Tuesday, February 15.
Vivekananda Reddy, younger brother of late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and uncle of CM Jagan, was found murdered in his residence at Pulivendula on March 15, 2019. On the directions of the High Court, CBI took over the investigation of the case in 2020. The CBI has so far arrested five accused in the case.
The CBI said investigation revealed that the deceased (Vivekananda) was favouring a ticket for himself or YS Sharmila (sister of Jagan) or Y S Vijayamma (Jagan's mother) instead of incumbent MP Avinash Reddy (from Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency). Avinash is a cousin of Jagan.
"Hence it is suspected that MP Avinash Reddy has got him (Vivekananda) killed through his henchman D Siva Shankar Reddy, a leader of the ruling YSR Congress party. Investigation on this aspect is still underway," the CBI said.
"Investigation revealed that Vivekananda Reddy was murdered as a result of well-planned conspiracy by T Gangi Reddy alias Yerra Gangi Reddy and Shaik Dastagiri, Yaditi Sunil Yadav and Gajala Uma Shankar Reddy, who all had separate and personal grudges/ motives to be a part of the conspiracy of murder," the CBI said in the first charge sheet.
Dastagiri, who once worked as driver of Vivekananda, later turned approver and gave a confessional statement before the Junior Civil Judge, Proddatur. Citing the confessional statement, the CBI said the murder was executed by Gangi Reddy, with the help of Sunil Yadav, Uma Shankar Reddy and Dastagiri.
The conspiracy for murder was allegedly hatched by Gangi Reddy a month prior to the offence.
"Gangi Reddy told that D Siva Shankar Reddy and some senior politicians are also involved in this plan of murder and Shankar Reddy would give them Rs 40 crore. Gangi Reddy also told them that Shankar Reddy and his close senior politicians will handle everything," the CBI said in the charge sheet.
The CBI arrested Shankar Reddy in November last year and filed the supplementary charge sheet against him. The CBI said Shankar Reddy offered Rs 10 crore to one K Gangadhar Reddy for taking responsibility of Vivekananda's murder.
The CBI said further investigation in the case would continue to find out the role of other accused persons in the destruction of scene of crime and further larger conspiracy of murder. It so far named 248 persons as witnesses in the case and attached their statements.