YS Bhaskar Reddy, the father of Kadapa MP Avinash Reddy and uncle of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the murder of former MP Vivekananda Reddy. The 72-year-old was arrested from his home in Pulivendula, Kadapa district, on April 16. He is being taken to Hyderabad and his mobile phone has been seized. Bhaskar has been charged with murder, causing disappearance of evidence, and criminal conspiracy. The CBI had previously arrested a close aide of Avinash Reddy’s two days ago in relation to the case.
Vivekananda Reddy, the brother of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, was found murdered at his home in Pulivendula on March 15, 2019, about a month before the Assembly elections. The CBI took over the case in 2020 after suspicions were raised by Vivekananda’s daughter. The Andhra Pradesh High Court directed the CBI to investigate the case, and the Supreme Court transferred it to Hyderabad in November 2020 due to concerns about a fair trial and investigation in Andhra Pradesh.
The CBI alleges that Bhaskar and Avinash conspired to murder Vivekananda because of a long-standing political rivalry over an MLC seat in 2017 and an MP seat in 2019. They allegedly planned the murder with their aide D Siva Shankar Reddy and other individuals who had worked closely with Vivekananda for years. Avinash denies the allegations.
