YS Viveka murder: SC stays HC’s interim relief to YS Avinash Reddy, restrains CBI from arrest until April 24

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the recent interim order of the Telangana High Court on the anticipatory bail petition filed by YSRCP’s Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy in connection with the YS Vivekananda Reddy murder case.

The apex court on Monday admitted a petition filed by Dr Sunitha Reddy, daughter of YS Vivekananda Reddy, challenging the Telangana High Court’s interim direction to the CBI not to arrest the Kadapa MP until April 25, 2023. The High Court promised to deliver its final order on YS Avinash Reddy’s anticipatory bail petition on that day.

Challenging the interim relief granted to YS Avinash Reddy, Dr Sunitha Reddy approached the Supreme Court on Monday with a petition. The petition came up for hearing on Friday before a division bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud. After hearing the arguments of Dr Sunitha’s counsel and from the CBI, which impleaded itself in the case, the Supreme Court division bench stayed the Telangana High Court’s interim order.

The apex court however asked the CBI not to arrest YS Avinash Reddy, who is currently being questioned at the Hyderabad office of the agency, until Monday next, i.e., April 24, 2023. The Supreme Court division bench gave the interim direction while posting the matter for further hearing to April 25, 2023 (Tuesday). It is also reported that notices had been issued to the respondents in connection with Dr Sunitha Reddy’s petition.

Dr Sunitha’s counsel, during the Friday hearing gave an account of how the investigation into the YS Vivekananda Reddy murder case was delayed over the last four years and the efforts made by the petitioner to get the case transferred from the Andhra Pradesh High Court to Telangana with Supreme Court’s intervention. The division bench was also told how YS Avinash Reddy held key to cracking the case since he was the first to inform the local police that YS Vivekananda Reddy died of a heart attack on March 15, 2019.

Besides the petitioner’s contention, the Supreme Court also reportedly considered the reservations expressed by YS Avinash Reddy’s counsel on this occasion. The MP’s counsel expressed the apprehension that the CBI would immediately arrest YS Avinash Reddy if the Supreme Court stayed the Telangana High Court’s interim directions on the MP’s anticipatory bail petition.

Treading a cautious line, the Supreme Court provided relief to both the parties. It granted a stay on the Telangana High Court’s interim relief to YS Avinash Reddy on one side and directed the CBI to not arrest the YSRCP MP until Monday when it will resume hearing on Dr Sunitha’s petition.

The Telangana High Court has recently given the interim relief to YS Avinash Reddy from an impending arrest by the CBI in connection with the case. During day-long arguments on April 18, the high court stated that YS Avinash could be questioned everyday until April 25, 2023 and directed the investigating agency not to arrest him until that date when it promised to deliver its final order on the MP’s anticipatory bail petition.

The YSRCP MP has been appearing before the CBI at the latter’s Hyderabad office everyday since then for questioning in the case.