Kadapa Member of Parliament YS Avinash Reddy, affiliated with the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), did not appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday regarding the murder case of former Andhra Pradesh minister YS Vivekananda Reddy.
Avinash Reddy, who is the cousin of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, has requested a four-day extension from the CBI to accommodate his prior commitments in his parliamentary constituency. He informed the central agency that the short notice made it difficult for him to comply with the appearance request.
On Tuesday, the Kadapa MP departed for Pulivendula in the Kadapa district. A notice had been served to Avinash Reddy on Monday, instructing him to present himself at the CBI regional office in Hyderabad at 11 a.m.
Avinash Reddy has already been questioned by the CBI on four occasions. Last month, he approached the Telangana High Court seeking anticipatory bail. However, the court adjourned the hearing to June 5 and declined to issue an order restraining the CBI from taking harsh measures against him in connection with the case.
Previously, the Supreme Court set aside the Telangana High Court's interim order that had stayed Avinash Reddy's arrest by the CBI until April 25. The apex court delivered this ruling in response to a petition filed by Vivekananda Reddy's daughter, Suneetha Reddy.
Additionally, a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha extended the investigation deadline for the Viveka murder case until June 30. The Supreme Court had initially set April 30 as the deadline for the CBI to conclude its investigation.
READ | Vivekananda Reddy Murder Case: CBI Opposes Accused's Bail Plea
Vivekananda Reddy, the brother of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and uncle of Jagan Mohan Reddy, was found murdered at his residence in Pulivendula, Kadapa district, on the night of March 15, 2019, just a few days before the elections.
The 68-year-old former state minister and ex-MP was alone at his house when unidentified individuals forcibly entered and killed him. The CBI assumed control of the investigation in 2020 following a directive from the Andhra Pradesh High Court in response to a petition filed by Vivekananda Reddy's daughter, Suneetha Reddy, who expressed suspicions regarding certain relatives.
In November of the previous year, the Supreme Court transferred the case to Hyderabad, acknowledging Suneetha Reddy's reasonable doubts about the possibility of receiving a fair trial and unbiased investigation in Andhra Pradesh.