YS Viveka murder: YSRCP MP Avinash Reddy grilled by CBI grills for 8 hours on Rs.40 cr deal

HYDERABAD: YSRCP MP YS Avinash Reddy here on Wednesday appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with a case pertaining to the murder of his uncle and former MP YS Vivekananda Reddy in March 2019. The CBI questioned him for six hours and the entire proceedings were audio recorded and video-graphed.

For the fifth time, he appeared before the CBI at its office in Koti here. He appeared before the premier investigating agency in response to a notice issued to him on Tuesday.

Avinash Reddy was supposed to attend questioning at the CBI office at 4 pm yesterday but he could make it as arguments over his anticipatory bail petition continued in the High Court till 4.30 pm, prompting the investigating agency to issue a fresh notice asking him to appear before it today.

With the help of a questionnaire prepared by the CBI, the investigators grilled him from 10.30 am. They first questioned him separately till afternoon and later grilled him along with his father YS Bhaskar Reddy and their aide Uday Kumar Reddy after lunch.

The CBI primarily focused on collecting information with the help of evidence it had so far collected to prove their role in the sensational case. As Shaik Dastagiri, who turned approver, informed the CBI that a Rs.40-crore deal took place in the case, the CBI also tried to extract the same information from them.

The CBI arrested Bhaskar Reddy and Uday Kumar Reddy a few days ago in the same case. After securing their six-day custody till April 24, a separate team from CBI went to Chanchalguda prison, where they were lodged after being sent to 14 days judicial remand, and brought them to its office in Koti for questioning.

Both Bhaskar Reddy and Uday Kumar Reddy underwent a detailed medical check up including Covid-19 test before shifting them to the CBI office.

The CBI said that Avinash Reddy along with other accused hatched a larger conspiracy in eliminating Vivekananda Reddy. An attempt was also made to destroy evidence from the spot with the help of other accused.

Vivekananda Reddy was found dead in his bathroom with serious head injuries in his house in Kadapa on the intervening night of 14 and 15 March 2019. The then TDP government set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case, which was later taken over by the CBI.

The CBI continued its questioning of Avinash Reddy even after sending away Bhaskar Reddy and Uday Kumar Reddy. The Kadapa MP was questioned for eight hours.