YS Viveka murder: CBI files supplementary chargesheet, case adjourned to July 14

HYDERABAD: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed a supplementary chargesheet in the CBI special court in Nampally in connection with the YS Vivekananda Reddy murder case. Incidentally, Friday (June 30, 2023) happened to be the last day of the deadline set by the Supreme Court for the investigating agency to wind up its probe in the case. Meanwhile, the CBI special court also extended the remand of six accused by another 14 days before adjourning the hearing on the case to July 14.

Even as the details of the chargesheet remain under tight wraps, it is speculated that the Central probe agency is likely to seek more time from the Supreme Court for completing its investigation. The CBI, which is gunning for YSRCP MP from Kadapa YS Avinash Reddy suspecting his alleged involvement in the murder, has been questioning him on every Saturday over the last few weeks. YS Avinash Reddy was granted anticipatory bail in the case by the Telangana High Court with the condition that he should appear before the CBI for questioning on every Saturday till the completion of the investigation.

The supplementary chargesheet filed on Friday is incidentally the third by the CBI in connection with the case. The agency has so far questioned the main accused, suspects and key witnesses on a number of occasions and filed the first two chargesheets with their statements and evidence gathered till then. The third one, the supplementary chargesheet, is speculated to be centered around YS Avinash Reddy, his alleged role, the agency’s suspicions and evidence it gathered against him besides the progress in its investigation against the other accused in the case including YS Bhaskara Reddy.

In another development, the CBI special court in Nampally here extended the judicial remand of the six accused, namely, Yerra Gangi Reddy, Sunil Yadav, Uma Sankar Reddy, Devireddy Sivasankara Reddy, YS Bhaskara Reddy and Uday Kumar Reddy, by another 14 days. The six were brought from the Chanchalguda Central Jail, where they have been lodged as remand prisoners, and produced in the CBI court for this purpose. They were shifted back to the prison following the extension of their remand.

Meanwhile, a crucial petition filed by Dr Narreddy Sunitha Reddy, the daughter of YS Vivekananda Reddy, opposing anticipatory bail granted to YS Avinash Reddy, will come up for hearing in the Supreme Court on July 3. The Telangana High Court, on May 31, 2023, granted the anticipatory bail to YS Avinash Reddy after hearing prolonged arguments from the counsel of the MP, the CBI and Dr Sunitha, who impleaded herself in the matter.

Later, Dr Sunitha approached the apex court seeking revocation of the anticipatory bail. During one of the hearings, she argued the case herself even as the vacation bench of the Supreme Court refused to pass interim orders staying the Telangana High Court order. Later, the matter was posted for July 3 and listed to be heard by the bench headed by the Chief Justice.