Cuddapah (Andhra Pradesh), 25 April (). As the investigation into the Vivekananda Reddy murder case has entered a critical phase, the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) probe is now focused on the security of accused-turned-turnive witness Sheikh Dastagiri.
CBI officials on Tuesday visited Dastagiri’s house in Pulivendula town of Cuddapah district and collected details of the security being provided to him. He advised them to immediately bring them to his notice in case of any problem.
CBI officials asked Dastagiri to be on alert in view of the latest developments in the case. Dastagiri had said on several occasions in the past that he was in danger for his life. Dastagiri, who worked as Vivekananda Reddy’s driver, sought security for himself and his family members.
Dastagiri, accused number four in the case, said that the threat to his life and that of his family members has increased since he gave two statements to the CBI in the case in 2021 and 2022. Meanwhile, the Telangana High Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing on the anticipatory bail plea of Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy.
The Supreme Court on Monday set aside the interim order of the Telangana High Court, which had stayed the arrests by the CBI till April 25. The High Court adjourned the hearing till Wednesday as copies of the Supreme Court order were not available. The top court had pronounced the order on a petition filed by Sunita Reddy, daughter of Vivekananda Reddy.
Chief Justice D.Y. A division bench of Justice Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha also extended the deadline for completing the investigation in the case till June 30. The Supreme Court had earlier set April 30 as the deadline for the CBI.
Vivekananda Reddy, brother of former chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh YS Rajasekhara Reddy and uncle of current chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, was murdered at his Pulivendula residence on March 15, 2019, weeks before the elections. The 68-year-old former state minister and ex-MP was alone at his house when unknown people barged into his house and killed him.
The CBI took over the investigation in 2020 on the direction of the Andhra Pradesh High Court while hearing a petition by Sunita Reddy raising suspicion on some relatives. Intensifying its probe into the case, the CBI recently arrested Avinash Reddy’s father YS Bhaskar Reddy and his henchman Uday Kumar Reddy. Bhaskara Reddy is the cousin of Vivekananda Reddy.
KC/SGK
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