A special court denied bail to YS Bhaskar Reddy, the father of Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy, in the murder case of former Andhra Pradesh minister YS Vivekananda Reddy. Bhaskar Reddy was arrested on April 16 and has been lodged in the Chanchalguda Central Jail since then. The CBI had arrested his close aide G Uday Kumar Reddy two days before Bhaskar Reddy’s arrest. The CBI argued that Bhaskar Reddy could influence witnesses in the case and that protests after his arrest showed his influence in Kadapa and Pulivendula. Suneetha Reddy, Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter, also opposed his bail petition. Vivekananda Reddy was murdered on March 15, 2019, weeks before elections.
During the hearing, the CBI listed Avinash Reddy as accused No. 8 (A8) in the murder case, stating that he conspired with his father to tamper with evidence. According to the counter affidavit, Avinash Reddy arrived at the crime scene within a minute of a call from N Sivashankar Reddy, and he, along with Sivashankar Reddy and Bhaskar Reddy, allegedly attempted to persuade Vivekananda Reddy’s former driver to withhold information from the CBI and the court.
The Telangana High Court granted anticipatory bail to Avinash Reddy on May 31, ruling that he shall be released on bail if arrested by the CBI. The CBI had arrested him on June 3 but released him on bail later that day.
