Political motive in ex-minister and uncle Reddy's murder: YS Sharmila

YS Sharmila, the sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, has been named by the CBI as one of the witnesses in her uncle and former minister YS Vivekananda Reddy’s murder case. She indicated that the motive behind the murder might be political.

The CBI which is probing the case named YSR Congress Party Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy and his father YS Bhaskar Reddy as accused No 8 and 7 respectively in the second supplementary final report filed in local CBI court on June 30.

“He (Vivekananda Reddy) was not murdered for any financial or personal reasons but it was a big reason to murder him. It was political in my view,” the CBI report quoted Sharmila as saying.

According to Sharmila’s statement, Vivekananda Reddy, two months before his murder visited her residence and convinced her, though initially she showed reluctance, to contest the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, which is represented by Avinash Reddy.

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Sharmila, former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s daughter, said she thought that Avinash Reddy and his father might have kept in mind that Vivekananda Reddy was coming in their way and “it may be a political murder or motive.”

Sharmila also expressed doubts that Avinash Reddy and his father “might be the reason” for the defeat of Vivekananda Reddy in the 2017 MLC elections in AP.

Sharmila, who actively campaigned for her brother Jagan during the 2019 Assembly polls, floated her own political outfit YSR Telangana Party in 2021.

Avinash Reddy, who appeared before the central agency on June 3, was arrested by the CBI and released on bail the same day after fulfilling certain formalities as he was granted anticipatory bail by the Telangana High Court.

The CBI, in the charge sheet said the agency requested the US authorities, through the Home Ministry, on some technical issues regarding the Wi-Fi router installed in the residence of the deceased.

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The investigating agency also said during the investigations some mobile phones were seized and sent to the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing Trivandrum for forensic analysis which was awaited.

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.

(With agency inputs)