MURDER AND THE FIRST FAMILY

Four years after the murder of former Andhra Pradesh minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, the ruling YSR Congress and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's family continue to be embroiled in the case. 

- Amarnath K. Menon

The CBI, in a 38-page affidavit filed in the Telangana High Court on February 22, pointed the finger at Jagan's cousin and current Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy and his father Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy. The agency alleges that the duo, along with one of their men, D. Siva Sankar Reddy, hatched the plot to kill Vivekananda.

The victim was Jagan's paternal uncle, the younger brother of his father and former chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh, the late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. He was also Bhaskar Reddy's cousin. Vivekananda was found mysteriously murdered at his home in Pulivendula, a small town in the Kadapa district of Rayalaseema region, on March 15, 2019, a month before the last assembly election. The murder-he was axed to death-was apparently an inside job. The CBI, citing circumstantial evidence, claims Avinash and his father used the other accused in the case-Yerra Gangi Reddy, Sunil Yadav, Dastagiri and others who worked for the ex-minister-to kill him.

The Andhra government had constituted three special investigation teams (SITS), but had failed to make any breakthroughs. The case would have gone cold if not for the efforts of the victim's daughter, Dr Narreddy Suneetha, who moved the courts for a CBI investigation. "To my knowledge, this is a political murder. The state's investigation agency probed the case for nine months, but was unable to identify the culprits. This is why I wanted the CBI to take over," says Suneetha, adding that she got no help from the state government "even though our family members are part of the ruling party in Andhra Pradesh".