Andhra Pradesh court restrains parties from making remarks on Vivekananda Reddy murder case in poll campaign

Amaravati: A court in Kadapa has issued a gag order till April 30, restraining political parties from using derogatory remarks on the murder of former minister Vivekananda Reddy, linking it to YSR Congress party and its leaders.

Kadapa Principal District Judge G Sreedevi issued the ad-interim orders on April 16 following a petition by a local YSR Congress Party leader.

The court directed APCC chief Y S Sharmila, her cousin Sunitha, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, Janasena Chief Pawan Kalyan, AP BJP president D Purandeswari and the followers of respective political parties not to make derogatory and defamatory remarks against Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and YSRCP Kadapa Lok Sabha contestant YS Avinash Reddy.

Vivekananda Reddy, younger brother of former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy, was found hacked to death at his residence in Pulivendula in Kadapa district in March 2019.

Current Kadapa Lok Sabha Member Y S Avinash Reddy is one of the accused in this case, who is battling the case over this matter.

“This court is of considered opinion that when a case is pending before a competent court for adjudication, no one is entitled to step into the shoes of the court themselves with no authorisation and give their verdict and term any of the person so involved in such in such case, as murder/ guilty person, according to their whim and fancies,” the court observed.

Vivekanada Reddy's murder case has become an election campaign issue in Andhra Pradesh with Sharmila, Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan and others highlighting and targeting YSRCP on several occasions, linking the murder case to Jagan.