YS Viveka murder: Ajeya Kallam rubbishes reports of CBI grilling, says YS Jagan did not mention ‘heart attack’

AMARAVATI: Deeply disturbed by the news items published in a section of media that he was interrogated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the murder of YS Vivekananda Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Government advisor Ajeya Kallam on Thursday trashed the insinuation that he was summoned for questioning.

“The CBI never called me for questioning. A CBI officer, who was part of the investigation team, met me at my residence and I gave him the information as far as I knew,” he explained. He wondered how the information of his meeting with the CBI officer had leaked to the media as there was no other person except the two of them.

Making it clear that he would seek legal redressal on the leakage of information, Ajeya Kallam also sought to clear the air, saying that Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy had only said that his uncle Vivekananda Reddy was no more. “He didn’t utter a single word more, he never said that his uncle died of a heart attack or anything else,” the government advisor pointed out. He added that he told the same thing to the CBI officer that met him.

Recalling the day’s proceedings, he said that the meeting with YS Jagan went on for an hour or so before the elections. “When he announced that Vivekananda Reddy was no more, we were all shocked and we came out,” he said. He said that there was no discussion whatsoever about the death after that moment.

YSRCP leader and chairman of manifesto committee Ummareddy Venkateswarlu was my teacher in college days and he invited me to be a part of the manifesto committee, Ajeya said. “But if someone leaves the meeting room during that time, why will anyone give importance to that casual act? It will be impossible to note and memorise such minute details,” he added.

“When the CBI officer asked me whether he could record my statement, I refused as there is no sanctity for the Section 160 statement under the Evidence Act and the officer concerned can write anything that comes to his or her mind in my name,” he said. He recalled that he could have refused to meet the officer but in good spirit, he had met him and told him whatever little he knew.

Why CBI not condemning the wrong reports

He wondered why the investigation agency was not refuting the false reports being prominently published in a section of media. “The reports are quoting the CBI as a source of information. They must react to such reports that falsely implicate the agency,” the former Chief Secretary felt.

He further said that it would be the responsibility of the investigation officer to maintain the secrecy of the information gathered in a particular case till it was submitted to the court of law. “The CBI must answer on how such information was leaked out to the news media,” he insisted.

The retired IAS officer, terming his presence at YS Jagan’s residence on the day of YS Vivekananda Reddy’s death as coincidental, wondered how one could relate one incident to the other. “My presence at the manifesto committee meeting, which was a coincidence, to the breaking news of Viveka’s death has been distorted and presented as a page one news in the media,” he said.

He said that the CBI should put its foot down and react to such baseless stories till the investigation reached a logical conclusion.