The investigation into the murder of former minister Y S Vivekanand Reddy, uncle of YSR Congress party leader and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, has come back to square one, almost a year after the brutal incident took place.
The Andhra Pradesh high court on Wednesday ordered an investigation by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into Viveka’s murder, as it felt there had not been any progress in the investigation by the state police.
The state high court took into consideration various petitions, including Viveka’s wife Sowbhagyamma, daughter Sunitha and Telugu Desam Party leader B Tech Ravi and BJP leader C Adinarayana Reddy.
The high court heard the petitions in detail and the counter argument by the state police.
Even Jagan had filed a petition in the high court, seeking to withdraw his earlier petition demanding a CBI inquiry, stating that his government had appointed a fresh inquiry by Special Investigation Team (SIT).
But the high court was not happy with the SIT probe and asked CBI to probe this under extra ordinary circumstances.
Since the killers are yet to be traced, the high court expressed dissatisfaction and felt that the murderers could be from inter-state gangs and hence, the CBI could tackle the case.
It directed CBI to begin the probe from Pulivendula police station and complete the probe quickly.
Viveka was murdered on March 15, 2019 during the TDP's tenure. Though then chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had appointed SIT to probe the case, Jagan did not accept it and demanded a CBI probe.
But after coming to power in May last year, Jagan, too, appointed another SIT and opposed the CBI probe.