Uncle murder case: Jagan faces heat from within family

The inexplicable murder case of YS Vivekananda Reddy, uncle of Jaganmohan Reddy, has become awkward for the Andhra Pradesh chief minister as his cousin and Vivekananda's daughter is now insisting on a CBI probe – a demand from Jagan too earlier.

A fresh petition filed by Dr Suneetha Narreddy, daughter of Vivekananda in the Andhra Pradesh high court questioning a Special Investigation Teamwork and insisting on CBI probe, while mentioning Jagan’s previous stand has now provided the opposition TDP ammunition to attack the CM.

The brutal murder of late CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy's brother and former Kadapa MP on March 15 in Pulivendula, just a month before the last year assembly elections, had shocked the state. The motive of the murder and the culprits is still not established.

Jagan, as opposition leader then, had suspected the involvement of the ruling TDP and wanted a CBI probe. He met the AP governor and also filed a writ petition in the Andhra Pradesh high court, seeking the central probe agency’s takeover of the case.

However, even after Jagan became CM, the case was still being dealt by a SIT of the state police. In fact, the team was reportedly reconstituted by the Jagan government adding to apprehensions about the case’s progress.

“The present CM, who is none other than my cousin, had sought for investigation by an independent agency like CBI …. (He) has not made any request to the CBI till now to take over the investigation and start afresh, even though it is nearly eight months from the date of his taking oath as the CM. Having expressed no confidence in the state police as the opposition leader, he should not have reconstituted the SIT to continue the investigations,” Dr Narreddy said in her petition.

Narreddy also raised suspicion about the conduct of 15 people, which includes Y S Avinash Reddy, the current Kadapa MP.

Narreddy had in a letter to AP DGP in November sought police armed protection.

TDP is now attacking Jagan over the issue. “Why is Jagan not handing his own uncle’s murder case to the CBI? Is he protecting the suspects? Jagan seems is afraid that a CBI probe could reveal his involvement too in the case,” TDP MLC Buddha Venkanna said.

The high court on Tuesday sought to know why the case should not be given to CBI. The state government reportedly replied that the SIT investigation is at an advanced stage. The matter is posted to February 6.