Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Gautam Sawang on Wednesday held a meeting with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which is probing the murder of senior politician YS Vivekananda Reddy in Pulivendula.
Vivekananda, who was found dead on March 15, was the brother of former CM YS Rajasekhar Reddy and the uncle of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Sawang held a 3-hour long review meet with Kurnool Range DIG Venkatrami Reddy and Kadapa Superintendent of Police Abhishek Mohanty among others and asked investigation officials to expedite the case.
The decision by the top cop to review the case came after a person who was facing examination as part of the investigation killed himself earlier this week. The deceased, K Srinivasa Reddy (52), had earlier presented himself before the SIT. He was a close relative of one of the prime accused, Parameshwara Reddy, in the murder case. Parameswara Reddy was a close friend of the slain politician, and four of his associates were arrested after he allegedly absconded soon after the murder.
A letter that was purportedly written by the deceased Srinivasa Reddy said that he was being harassed in the name of an investigation by the police and claimed that he had no role in the crime.
The politics surrounding the case has also seen the TDP and YSRCP do a u-turn on their stand.
The murder of Vivekananda had taken place in the run-up to the polls in the state, which had resulted in the two parties trading charges of "murder politics", and accusing each other of being involved in the crime.
At the time, the TDP had set up the SIT even as the YSRCP was demanding for a probe by a national agency like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
After the YSRCP government swept into power in May, it has now been wary of handing over the investigation to a national agency, while the TDP has demanded that the probe be handed over to the CBI.
Vivekananda Reddy was elected from Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency on a Congress ticket in 1999 and 2004. He was twice elected to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly (1989 and 1994) from Pulivendula, a family stronghold.
He joined the YSRCP ahead of the 2014 elections.