YS Viveka murder case: Supreme Court tells CBI to end probe by April 30, Ram Singh replaced

NEW DELHI: In a key twist to the YS Vivekananda Reddy murder case, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete its investigation by April 30, 2023. The probe agency on the other hand informed the apex court that it had replaced the entire investigation team including investigation officer Ram Singh. Naming a new special investigation team, it entrusted the responsibility of the case probe to CBI DIG K R Chourasia.

CBI Superintendent of Police Vikas Singh, Additional SP Mukesh Kumar, Inspectors S Srimathi and Naveen Punia and Sub-Inspector Ankit Yadav are the members of the new investigation team. The Supreme Court, during the course of hearing on Wednesday, directed the CBI to unravel the larger conspiracy in the murder of YS Vivekananda Reddy, a former minister and uncle of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy.

In another significant ruling, the Supreme Court said that the accused could move a petition for regular bail if the trial in the case did not commence within six months. It asked the CBI to complete its investigation into the case by April 30, 2023.

The apex court has been very critical of the slow pace of investigation by the CBI into the case. A few days ago, expressing its displeasure over the status report filed by the agency, the Supreme Court observed that the report contained no details on the progress of the investigation. It said that only multiple references to ‘political rivalry’ were made in the report.

It also directed the CBI to replace investigation officer Ram Singh and entrust the probe charge to a new officer. Following the Supreme Court directions, the central agency on Wednesday announced the new probe team.