Kadapa MP Avinash Reddy is a suspect in the murder of former Minister Vivekananda Reddy. On Friday, May 19, supporters of Avinash allegedly attacked a journalist working with ABN Andhrajyothy and their van. The MP was summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for questioning, but he skipped it citing his mother’s ill health. Supporters of the MP also prevented media persons from reporting on his movements and vandalised their vehicle. The Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) condemned the incident and demanded that the Telangana government take action against those responsible.
Vivekananda Reddy, the brother of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, was found murdered at his residence in Pulivendula on March 15, 2019. The CBI took over the investigation in 2020, and in February this year, indicted Avinash and his father Bhaskar for conspiring to murder Vivekananda due to a long-running political rivalry. Avinash has denied the allegations.
