Plea challenging anticipatory bail to Avinash Reddy: SC calls for charge sheet filed by CBI in Viveka murder case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file its response along with the charge sheet in a plea challenging anticipatory bail to YSRCP MP from Kadapa, Y.S. Avinash Reddy, in the 2019 Vivekananda Reddy murder case.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Bela M. Trivedi granted two weeks time to the central probe agency to submit its counter-affidavit in response to the plea filed by Suneetha Narreddy, the daughter of the deceased, against the Telangana High Court’s order allowing anticipatory bail to Avinash Reddy.

The Supreme Court also asked the CBI to produce copies of the original case files in a sealed cover.

On Monday, the top court clarified that it is not passing any adverse order against the grant of anticipatory bail. 

“We are not passing any orders today without hearing you (Avinash Reddy & CBI). Whatever order has been passed will continue,” it said.    

On July 14, the CBI court in Hyderabad, taking cognisance of the supplementary charge sheet filed by the CBI recently, summoned Avinash Reddy in former Andhra Pradesh Minister Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy’s murder case. 

The CBI on June 30 filed the third charge sheet in the sensational case. Naming Avinash Reddy, cousin of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, as an accused. 

In her special leave petition, Suneetha Narreddy, daughter of Vivekananda Reddy, has contended that the high court virtually accepted the entire case put forth by the accused and disregarded the evidence collected by the CBI. 

The plea said that the Kadapa MP from the ruling YSRCP had not cooperated. With the CBI by evading three notices for appearance. 

It submitted that the high court allowed the anticipatory bail to the accused. Contrary to the law laid down by the apex court. 

On May 31, the Telangana High Court granted anticipatory bail to Avinash Reddy with certain conditions in the murder case.

Vivekananda Reddy, brother of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and uncle of present Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, was murdered at his residence in Pulivendula on March 15, 2019, weeks before the elections. 

Earlier, the CBI arrested Avinash Reddy’s father Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy, a cousin of Rajasekhara Reddy.