E-Paper
Andhra Pradesh: SC upholds YSCRP MP Avinash Reddy’s anticipatory bail
The SC on Tuesday refused to pass any order against the Telangana high court’s verdict on May 31, granting anticipatory bail to YSR Congress party MP Y S Avinash Reddy in the case Y S Vivekananda Reddy murder case in March 2019
Hyderabad
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to pass any order against the Telangana high court’s verdict on May 31, granting anticipatory bail to YSR Congress party MP from Kadapa Y S Avinash Reddy in the case pertaining to murder of his uncle and former minister Y S Vivekananda Reddy in March 2019, people familiar with the matter said.
Acting on a petition filed by Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter Narreddy Sunitha Reddy challenging the high court order, a division bench of the Supreme Court comprising justices Sanjay Khanna and Bela M Trivedi said it would not like to pass any adverse order against granting anticipatory bail to the Kadapa MP, without hearing his version and that of the Central Bureau of India (CBI) which is probing the case.
“We are not passing any orders today without hearing Avinash Reddy and the CBI. Whatever order has been passed will continue,” the bench said.
The SC also directed the CBI authorities to file their counter-affidavit in response to the petition filed by Sunitha Reddy, along with the supplementary charge sheet filed before the local CBI court in Hyderabad on June 30.
The bench also asked the CBI to produce in a sealed cover, all the copies of the original case files, pertaining to the investigation done by it so far in the Vivekananda Reddy murder case. It posted the case to the second week of September for further hearing.
On May 31, Justice Laxman Rao of the Telangana high court granted anticipatory bail to Avinash Reddy, on the ground that the CBI had failed to produce any evidence to prove the interference of Avinash Reddy in the investigation. The judge also said there was no evidence to show that the MP was involved in tampering of evidence and threatening the witnesses, except the allegation that he had tried to destroy the scene of offence.
“The gravity of accusation (against the MP) has not yet been clearly brought on record by the CBI so far. The entire case against him rests upon hearsay evidence and assumptive evidence and no direct evidence is available against him to prove his participation in larger conspiracy,” the judge said.
The court found fault with the investigating officer for not registering the FIR under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, even after observing multiple injuries over the body of Vivekananda Reddy, but registered under Section 174 of Criminal Procedure Code (suspicious death).
On June 8, Sunitha moved the Supreme Court challenging the high court order granting bail to Avinash Reddy. She contended that the HC had virtually accepted the entire case put forth by the MP and disregarded the evidence collected by the CBI.
She brought to the notice of the court that Avinash Reddy had not cooperated with the CBI by evading three notices for appearance. She said granting anticipatory bail to the accused was against the rules laid down by the apex court.
The CBI on June 30 filed the third charge sheet in the Vivekananda Reddy murder case naming Avinash Reddy, who also happens to be the cousin of Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, as an accused.
Vivekananda Reddy, brother of the former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, was murdered at his residence in Pulivendula in the intervening night of March 14 and 15, 2019, weeks before the general elections in Andhra Pradesh.
The case, which was initially probed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police, was handed over to the CBI in July 2020, following a direction from the state high court.
