Murder of Andhra CM’s uncle: CBI picks up key suspect from Goa

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has caught the key accused in the murder of YS Vivekananda Reddy, the uncle of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy.

Y S Vivekananda Reddy (68), a former minister, was found dead at his residence in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh on March 15, 2019. He was alone at home at the time. His family had alleged that the death was not due to natural causes and a case of unnatural death had been registered.

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Jagan Reddy, as a young Opposition leader, had accused then Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of killing Vivekananda and demanded a CBI probe, saying “he lacked faith in the state police machinery”. But Naidu maintained that the murder was a result of disputes within the Y.S. family.

CBI officials caught Sunil Yadav in Goa on Monday (August 2). The process to arrest him and produce him in court is underway, NDTV said quoting CBI sources.

The investigation threw up evidence that pointed to Sunil Yadav as the prime accused in the murder case. The agency had questioned him a few times in the matter before he fled with his family to Goa.

Jagan Mohan Reddy took over as Chief Minister in 2019 and faced embarrassment when his cousin and YS Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter moved the High Court last year.

Sunitha Narreddy had alleged she also suspected her cousin and Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy and his father YS Bhaskar Reddy.

She had questioned the probe into the case by a Special Investigation Team of the state police and questioned why her cousin did not hand it over to CBI after coming to power.

The high court had then ordered a CBI investigation. As many as three SITs had probed the matter before the CBI took over the probe.

The CBI’s questioning of Rangaiah, who was a watchman at Vivekananda’s house, is said to have yielded vital clues. The probe hinted at the involvement of Jagan’s close family members in the crime, media reports said.