Viveka murder case: Kadapa MP seeks time to appear before CBI

Hyderabad, May 16: Kadapa MP Y. S. Avinash Reddy on Tuesday did not appear before the CBI in the former Andhra Pradesh minister Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy's murder case.

The MP, who is cousin of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, has sought four days' time to appear before the central agency.

Stating that he has pre-scheduled engagements in his parliamentary constituency, he conveyed to the CBI that he was unable to appear at the short notice.

Avinash Reddy on Tuesday left for Pulivendula in Kadapa district. In a notice served on Monday, he was directed to appear at CBI regional office in Hyderabad at 11 a.m.

The Kadapa MP, who was already questioned four times by the CBI, had last month approached Telangana High Court for anticipatory bail.

The High Court on April 28 adjourned the hearing to June 5. The court had refused to pass an order restraining CBI from taking any harsh measure against him in the case.

The Supreme Court had earlier set aside Telangana High Court's interim order, staying his arrest by the CBI till April 25.

The apex court pronounced the order on a petition filed by Vivekananda Reddy's daughter Suneetha Reddy.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D. Y. Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha also extended the deadline for completing the investigation into the case till June 30. The Supreme Court had earlier fixed April 30 as the deadline for the CBI.

Vivekananda Reddy, brother of former chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and uncle of Jagan Mohan Reddy, was murdered at his residence in Pulivendula on March 15, 2019, weeks before the elections.

The 68-year-old former state minister and former MP was alone at his house when unidentified persons barged in and killed him.

The CBI took over the investigation into the case in 2020 on the direction of Andhra Pradesh High Court while hearing a petition of Suneetha Reddy, who raised suspicion about some relatives.

In November last year, the Supreme Court transferred the case to Hyderabad on a petition by Suneetha Reddy.

Last month, the CBI arrested Avinash Reddy's father Y. S. Bhaskar Reddy.