Vivekananda Reddy Murder Case: YSRCP MP YS Avinash Reddy Again Skips CBI Questioning

Avinash Reddy sent a communique to the CBI that he will be unable to appear before it as his mother has taken ill and so he had to rush to Pulivendula.

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP YS Avinash Reddy once again skipped the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioning in former Andhra Pradesh minister YS Vivekananda Reddy's murder case. The Kadapa MP left for his hometown of Pulivendula in Kadapa from Hyderabd on Friday morning. Avinash Reddy sent a communiqué to the CBI saying that he would be unable to appear before it as his mother has taken ill, and so he had to rush to Pulivendula.

It may be recalled that Avinash Reddy did not appear before the CBI on Tuesday stating that he has pre-scheduled engagements in his parliamentary constituency. However, the same day the central agency issued him a fresh notice, directing him to appear at its regional office in Hyderabad at 11 a.m. on Friday. This is the second time this week that Avinash Reddy has skipped CBI interrogation.

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.

READ | 6-Year-Old Boy Fatally Attacked By Stray Dogs In Telangana, Locals Demand Action

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.

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.