YS Bhaskar Reddy, the cousin of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday in connection with the murder of YS Vivekananda Reddy, the younger brother of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister late YS Rajasekhara Reddy. Vivekananda was found dead at his residence in Pulivendula on March 15, 2019, weeks before the State Assembly elections. Bhaskar Reddy’s arrest was followed by his presentation before a judge who remanded him in 14 days’ custody.
Bhaskar Reddy’s son and Andhra Pradesh Member of Parliament YS Avinash Reddy, who is also an accused in the case, declared that he would fight to any extent to prove his father’s innocence, saying that the investigation was faulty and that they would prove their innocence even in the face of harassment. It is not uncommon for lawyers to raise concerns about the health of their clients when they are remanded into custody. In this case, Bhaskar Reddy’s lawyers have informed the judge that he has high blood pressure and requested medical aid and other facilities for him. The judge has assured them that the jail superintendent would take care of everything and the lawyers have also requested the CBI to take care of Bhaskar Reddy’s health. It remains to be seen how the authorities will respond to these requests. The case of the murder of YS Vivekananda Reddy was initially investigated by a special investigation team of the state crime investigation department. However, in July 2020, the case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further investigation. On October 26, 2021, the CBI filed a charge sheet in the murder case, and then followed it up with a supplementary charge sheet on January 31, 2022. The arrest of YS Bhaskar Reddy in connection with the murder case has now taken place in the early hours of Sunday, April 16, 2023.
