Ex-minister murder case: SC to hear plea challenging grant of interim protection from arrest to Y S Avinash Reddy

Vivekananda Reddy a brother of late Andhra CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, was found murdered at his residence on the night of March 15, 2019

The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Friday an appeal challenging the grant of protection from arrest till April 25 to YSR Congress Party Lok Sabha member Y S Avinash Reddy in a case pertaining to the murder of former Andhra Pradesh Minister Y S Vivekananda Reddy.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha took note of the submissions of senior advocate Siddharth Luthra assailing the grant of interim anticipatory bail to the leader in the sensational murder case.

“We will list it for hearing tomorrow,” the bench said.

The Telangana High Court on April 18 directed the YSRCP MP to appear before the CBI everyday for examination in the case pertaining to the murder of Y S Vivekananda Reddy, and granted him protection from arrest till April 25.

In an interim order on the anticipatory bail plea of Avinash Reddy, the court asked him to cooperate with the Central agency and appear before it daily till April 25.

Vivekananda Reddy, one of the brothers of the late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, was found murdered at his residence in Pulivendula in Kadapa district, on the night of March 15, 2019, weeks before the Assembly elections in the State.

The case was initially probed by a special investigation team (SIT) of the state crime investigation department, but was handed over to the CBI in July 2020.

The CBI filed a charge sheet in the murder case on October 26, 2021 and followed it up with a supplementary charge sheet on January 31, 2022.