YS Viveka murder: Tension in Kurnool as CBI lies in wait for YS Avinash Reddy

KURNOOL: Tension prevails in Kurnool amid a heavy buildup of YSRCP activists fearing the arrest of their Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy in the YS Vivekananda Reddy murder case and the officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) awaiting response from the district Superintendent of Police to move against the ruling party leader on Monday.

Viswa Bharathi Hospital in Kurnool, where YS Avinash Reddy’s mother is battling for life following a heart attack, has become the latest venue for all the drama and action since early hours of Monday. Teams of the CBI have been camping at a Kurnool guest house, awaiting clearance from the local police to act against the MP, who sought more time to appear before the agency in Hyderabad for further questioning, citing his mother’s ill-health.

The CBI officials, who met Kurnool SP Krishna Kanth twice since early Monday morning, sought the local police support and cooperation in their pursuit of the YSRCP MP. While revealing their intent to detain YS Avinash Reddy, they have also reportedly urged the SP to persuade the MP to surrender to pre-empt any law and order trouble from the YSRCP activists and his followers from Pulivendula.

In a flurry of activity on Monday, the YS Avinash Reddy legal team also had to gulp down yet another bout of disappointment as their attempts to get his fresh bail petition heard by a Supreme Court vacation bench went in vain. The vacation bench of the apex court, while refusing to entertain the plea for a mention before it, advised the MP’s advocates to approach the mentioning officer for this purpose.

On the other hand, the beleaguered MP, around whose neck the noose is tightening with each passing hour, has reportedly written to the CBI, seeking time at least till May 27, 2023 to appear for questioning. As per the CBI’s latest notice served on him, the MP should have turned up at the CBI’s Hyderabad regional office on Monday (22-05-2023) for further questioning in the YS Vivekananda Reddy murder case.

Meanwhile, his mother Lakshmamma, whose hospitalisation was cited for the MP’s inability to appear for the CBI questioning, continues to be in critical condition, according to a health bulletin released by the Viswa Bharathi Hospital in Kurnool. The hospital said that an angiogram performed on Lakshmamma revealed a few blocks in her arteries and since blood pressure levels were also low, she needed to be treated in the ICU for a few more days.

Kurnool town continues to be in the grip of high tension amid fears that YS Avinash Reddy could be detained from the Viswa Bharathi Hospital any time by the CBI officials. The local police have cordoned off the Gayatri Estates area where most of the medical institutes including Viswa Bharathi Hospital are located. The entry and exit points of the hospital have been sealed off even as the area near the entrance was heavily barricaded.

Reports suggest that a large number of YSRCP activists from Kurnool and Kadapa districts besides YS Avinash Reddy’s followers from Pulivendula had flocked to Kurnool to ‘register their protest’ in case the CBI initiated any drastic action against their leader. A few leaders including former MLA SV Mohan Reddy have warned that the Kadapa MP’s arrest, if effected by the CBI, could trigger serious law and order problems, reflecting the fragility of the situation prevailing there.

The CBI authorities, who have been camping at a guest house in the town since Sunday night, are determined in their attempts to ‘meet’ the Kadapa MP at the hospital itself, raising suspicion of his imminent detention or arrest. A few reports claim that the probe agency was also contemplating to move ahead in its plans by requisitioning the Central forces if it fails to get necessary cooperation from the state police.