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Ex-Andhra minister murder case: Suspect accuses CBI of bid to ‘frame’ Kadapa MP
Kalluri Gangadhar Reddy from Yadiki in Anantapur district lodged a complaint with district superintendent of police Dr K Fakeerappa stating that the CBI authorities had brought pressure on him to admit before the court that Avinash Reddy and other accused in the case had conspired to kill Vivekananda Reddy.
In a new twist to the ongoing investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the murder of former parliament member Y S Vivekananda Reddy, one of the suspects on Monday alleged that the CBI was trying to fix YSR Congress party MP from Kadapa Y S Avinash Reddy in the case.
Kalluri Gangadhar Reddy from Yadiki in Anantapur district lodged a complaint with district superintendent of police Dr K Fakeerappa stating that the CBI authorities had brought pressure on him to admit before the court that Avinash Reddy and other accused in the case had conspired to kill Vivekananda Reddy.
He further alleged that the CBI authorities and Vivekananda’s own daughter Sunitha Reddy had offered him ₹10 lakh to make a statement in the court, fixing Avinash Reddy and others.
Vivekananda Reddy, uncle of Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, was hacked to death at his residence in Pulivendula in Kadapa district on March 16, 2019. The case was initially handled by a special investigation team (SIT) of the state crime investigation department, but was later handed over to CBI following a petition from Vivekananda’s daughter Sunitha.
On November 19, the CBI authorities arrested YSRC general secretary Shiva Shankar Reddy Devireddy, a close associate of Avinash Reddy, following a confession statement from the slain leader’s driver Sheik Dastagiri earlier this month.
In his confession statement, Dastagri also named one Yerra Gangi Reddy and Avinash Reddy as co-conspirators in the murder of Vivekanda Reddy in connection with a land deal.
A local court in Pulivendula on Saturday granted a seven-custody of Devireddy to the CBI for interrogation.
However, Gangadhar Reddy, in his complaint to the Anantapur SP, alleged that Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter, in collusion with the CBI authorities, were trying to fix Avinash Reddy in the case. “They brought a pressure on me to give a statement in the court to saying that Avinash Reddy and Gangi Reddy had offered to pay me ₹10 crore, if I admit that I had committed the murder,” Gangadhar Reddy said.
He said a senior police officer who was heading the SIT in the beginning, had also brought pressure on him to give a statement to implicate Avinash Reddy in the case. He requested the SP to provide him security, as he was facing threat to his life.
Speaking to reporters, Fakeerappa said a deputy superintendent of police-rank official had been appointed to probe into the complaint lodged by Gangadhar Reddy. “We shall take up investigation in all angles and complete the probe within a week. We shall also provide security to Gangadhar Reddy,” the SP added.
CBI senior official Ram Singh, probing the Vivekananda Reddy murder case, could not be reached for comment.
