The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Andhra Pradesh police, which has been investigating the murder of Y S Vivekananda Reddy, on Wednesday took the senior politician's driver into custody for questioning. The SIT also sought permission from a local court in Pulivendula in Kadapa district for a 'narco analysis' and polygraph test on Reddy's watchman, Rangaiah.
The driver, Dasthagiri, was questioned for several hours on Wednesday as he had worked under Vivekananda Reddy until three months before the murder. He had stopped showing up for work.
Besides planning to conduct lie detector tests on some of the suspects, the SIT officials are also going through phone call data of several people, to ascertain the motive and modus operandi of the crime.
According to media reports, a total of 23 teams in Pulivendula have been searching for the evidence and interrogating people, with SIT officials camping at lodges and guest houses in the town.
Last week, a local court granted bail to three accused in the case.
Pointing out that more than 90 days had passed and no chargesheet had been filed by the police, which meant that the accused were entitled to bail according to the rules, the court granted bail to Vivekananda's personal secretary Krishna Reddy, Yerra Gangireddy, a close aide, and Prakash, a domestic help.
The trio were accused of shifting Vivekananda Reddy’s body from the bathroom – where he was found – to the bedroom and wiping off bloodstains in the bedroom.
Vivekananda Reddy, a former MP was murdered on March 15. While initially it was believed that the politician 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.
Ahead of the polls, the murder of the leader, who was the brother of former CM YS Rajasekhar Reddy and uncle of YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, had resulted in the YSRCP and TDP trading charges of "murder politics" in the poll-bound state.
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, 1994) from Pulivendula, a family stronghold.