Vivekananda Reddy murder: MP Avinash Reddy skips CBI interrogation again

YS Avinash Reddy, MP from Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa, on Friday skipped the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) interrogation regarding the murder case of former state minister and his relative, YS Vivekananda Reddy. He told the CBI that his mother took ill, and he had to leave for his hometown, Pulivendula, from Hyderabad. This is the second time Avinash has skipped the inquiry this week.

• Avinash is the cousin-in-law of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, whereas Vivekananda (68) was the CM's uncle, who was murdered in 2019 a week before the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections under mysterious circumstances.
• The CBI booked Avinash's father YS Bhaskar Reddy as an accused in the murder case and arrested him last month.

Avinash had previously failed to appear at the CBI's regional office in Koti, Hyderabad, on Tuesday, citing short notice and prescheduled engagements in his parliamentary constituency, following which he was summoned on Friday. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court dismissed his plea for an urgent hearing on his petition, which sought the top court to direct the Telangana High Court to grant him anticipatory bail.

Reportedly, Reddy approached the Telangana HC last month after the CBI interrogated him four times in the case. On April 28, the HC adjourned the case till June 5 and refused to restrain the CBI from taking any action in the case. The SC also extended the deadline for the CBI to complete the probe in the case from April 30 to June 30.

In 2020, the Andhra Pradesh HC directed the CBI to take over the case based on a petition by Vivekananda's daughter Suneetha, who suspected the involvement of some relatives in the murder. The CBI accused Bhaskar, Avinash, and their follower Devireddy Shiva Shankar Reddy of conspiring to kill Vivekananda for reportedly opposing the Kadapa Lok Sabha ticket to Avinash.