The Telangana High Court completed hearing on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) petition to cancel the bail of Yerra Gangi Reddy, the main accused in former Andhra Pradesh Minister Y S Vivekananda Reddy's murder case. The court adjourned the case to Thursday for judgment, news agency IANS reported.
The Supreme Court had recently extended the deadline for completing the investigation into the Vivekananda Reddy's murder case till June 30.
The CBI sought the cancellation of the bail on the ground that Gangi Reddy is the main accused and has been influencing key witnesses in the case. During the previous hearing, the CBI counsel had argued that Gangi Reddy has political backing and is trying to put pressure on the witnesses through his connections.
Justice D. Ramesh had asked the CBI to submit some evidence that Gangi Reddy is influencing witnesses. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Andhra Pradesh police, which was then investigating the murder case, arrested Gangi Reddy on March 28, 2019.
Gangi Reddy was granted default bail by a local court at Pulivendula in October 2021 on technical grounds as the CBI failed to file the charge sheet within 90 days of registering the FIR. Later, the Andhra Pradesh High Court also upheld the decision of the lower court.
The CBI had approached the Supreme Court, challenging the order of the High Court.
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In November last year, the Supreme Court transferred the trial in the murder case from Andhra Pradesh to the CBI court in Hyderabad. Consequently, the apex court asked the CBI to approach the Telangana High Court for the cancellation of Gangi Reddy's bail.
Vivekananda Reddy, brother of former chief minister Y.S. 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, a few days before the elections.
The 68-year-old former state minister and former MP was alone at his house when unidentified people barged in and killed him. The CBI took over the investigation in 2020 on the direction of the Andhra Pradesh High Court while hearing a petition from Vivekananda Reddy's daughter, Suneetha Reddy, who raised suspicions about some relatives.
The Supreme Court transferred the case to Hyderabad in November last year, observing that the doubts raised by Suneetha Reddy about getting a fair trial and investigation in Andhra Pradesh were reasonable.
(With IANS inputs)