Telangana HC cancels former AP minister Vivekananda Reddy murder accused Yerra Gangi Reddy's bail

HYDERABAD: Agreeing with CBI's contention, the Telangana high court on Thursday cancelled the bail granted to Yerra Gangi Reddy, who is accused No. 1 in the former AP minister YS Vivekananda Reddy murder case, till June 30.
Directing Gangi Reddy to surrender before the CBI principal special judge court in Hyderabad by May 5, Justice C Sumalatha said: "The presence of the prime accused who is roaming freely is causing fear in the minds of the witnesses and sending out wrong signals."
Vivekananda Reddy, younger brother of former AP chief minister, the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy and uncle of present CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, was found murdered in his Pulivendula residence on the intervening night of March 14-15 in 2019.
Gangi Reddy played key role in a larger conspiracy: Court
The judge also took note of the fact that the Supreme Court had recently extended the timeframe till June 30 for CBI to unravel the larger conspiracy behind the ex-minister’s murder and said the bail granted to Gangi Reddy needed to be cancelled till then.
“If Gangi Reddy does not surrender, the CBI can arrest him and send him to jail for two months from now till June 30,” the judge said. “He should be set free on July 1 upon furnishing of ? 1 lakh surety before the trial court,” Justice Sumalatha said.
The judge, in her order, further said Gangi Reddy played a key role in the larger conspiracy, including destruction of the crime scene, and projecting the brutal murder as a death due to heart attack.
CBI special public prosecutor N Nagendran, in his argument, said Gangi Reddy facilitated the entry of other assailants into Vivekananda Reddy’s house on that fateful night and also took part in the murder.
The judge pronounced the order after hearing a petition filed by the CBI seekingcancellation of the bail granted to Gangi Reddy by a trial court in Kadapa. Following failure of Pulivendula police in filing a chargesheet within the stipulated 90 days, the trial court granted default bail to Gangi Reddy.
Following a petition filed by Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter Narreddy Suneetha, the Andhra Pradesh high court had earlier entrusted the investigation to the CBI. Later, the apex court transferred the trial from AP to Telangana and a CBI special court in Hyderabad is currently hearing the case.
The CBI recently arrested YS Bhaskar Reddy, father of Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy, and also questioned the MP several times in connection with the murder case.