Vivekananda Reddy murder case: SC posts for June 19 plea for cancellation of bail to YSRCP MP Avinash Reddy

New Delhi [India], June 14 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of a plea of Dr. Suneetha Narreddy for June 19 seeking the cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to YSR Congress Party’s Lok Sabha member YS Avinash Reddy by the Telangana High Court on May 31, 2023 in connection with Vivekananda Reddy murder case.

A vacation bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah did not issue notice on Suneetha’s plea seeking the cancellation of anticipatory of Avinash and an extension of time for CBI to complete the probe.

The bench observed that it was for the CBI to say that Avinash Reddy was not cooperating in the investigation of the case and it requires more time to complete the probe.

Suneetha Narreddy challenged the May 31 Telangana High Court order granting anticipatory bail to Kadapa MP Avinash Reddy in connection with the murder of his uncle and former minister YS Vivekananda Reddy.

Suneetha is daughter of deceased YS Vivekanand Reddy. Vivekanand Reddy was uncle of present Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and brother of late Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

During the course of the hearing, the bench asked Suneetha, who was appearing in-person as senior advocates were to allowed to argue cases in order to give chance to junior advocates, whether Avinash Reddy was her cousin.

Suneetha said Avinash is his second cousin and he was the main conspirator in her father’s murder.

The bench told Suneetha that it can give date in the month of July on the reopening of the court after its summer vacation.

However, on the intervention of senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, who is appearing in the matter for Suneetha Narreddy, the bench agreed to list the matter on June 19. Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra was assisting Suneetha as he could not argue the case being senior counsel.

Earlier, describing Avinesh Reddy as the principal conspirator in her (Suneetha) father’s murder, Suneetha’s advocate told the vacation bench that an earlier bench headed by the Chief Justice DY Chandrachud on April 24 had said that it was not a case of interim order and sent the matter to the High Court.

They (accused) do not cooperate with the investigating agency on summons and Avinash Reddy avoids the probe on account of mother’s illness, Suneetha has said. The High Court had not granted interim protection initially.

Challenging the May 31 order of Telangana High Court granting anticipatory bail to Avinash Reddy in the case, the Suneetha has sought from apex court an “ex-parte ad interim” stay of May 31 judgment and the order.

She has also sought extension of time to the CBI for completing the investigation into the larger conspiracy in the alleged murder of Vivekanand Reddy. The top court by its April 24, 2023, order had directed the CBI to conclude the investigation by June 30, 2023.

Assailing the High Court order, the Suneetha in her petition has said that the High Court after holding a “mini trial and giving findings/making comments on the merits of the prosecution case” virtually accepted the entire case of Avinash Reddy, while disregarding the evidence collected by the CBI which is investigating the case.

Alleging non-cooperation by Avinash Reddy in the investigation of the case, the petition says that he did not appear before the investigating agency on the last three occasions despite notices by the CBI asking him to appear before it.

The petitioner Suneetha has alleged that Avinash Reddy along with other accused has “successfully” tampered with evidence by “destroying the scene of offence in the presence of the state police and had propagated the story that the deceased had died due to a heart attack.”

The petition said that Avinash Reddy had in fact “pressurised the police not to register an FIR as a result of which only an inquest under S. 174 Cr.PC was started, in a case of cold-blooded murder as is evidenced from photographs of the deceased …”

The petitioner further added that Avinash Reddy is the sitting Member of Parliament from the present ruling party in Andhra Pradesh, and he along with other accused, with the aid of the State machinery and powerful people in the current ruling party was influencing the investigation, and has been consistently threatening and influencing the witnesses.

CBI took over the investigation in July 2020 on the direction of Andhra Pradesh High Court. The case was earlier registered at police station Pulivendula in Kadapa district (Andhra Pradesh). Late Vivekanand Reddy had represented Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency.

A month before the general elections in 2019, Vivekananda Reddy, a former MP, was found murdered at his residence at Pulivendula on March 15, 2019.