YS Vivekananda Reddy Murder: SIT Investigation Updates

Pulivendula: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted for investigating the murder of YSR Congress Party leader and ex MP Y S Vivekananda Reddy arrived in Pulivendula town in Kadapa district.

Additional Director-General (CID) Amit Garg, former SP Abhishek Mohanty and Superintendent of Police Rahul Dev Sharma reached the place along with other SIT officials.

The SIT officials initially took four people into custody for questioning. This included YS Vivekananda Reddy's servant Yerra Gangi Reddy, his servant, personal assistant Krishna Reddy and driver Prasad, personal assistant Krishna Reddy and maid Lakshmi.

The SIT officers also visited the premises and carried out an inspection inside and around the house of the deceased leader. They also collected CCTV footage from the area around the house.

The driver was taken into custody because of a letter allegedly written by the leader just before he died, which said that the driver had beaten him because he had asked the driver to come early.

Interestingly, authorities who were initially investigating the case reportedly found this letter. However, the YSRCP has accused the SIT of 'planting' the letter with party leader Y S Avinash Reddy telling reporters that he found no such thing, even though he was one of the first people to reach the spot.

Based on a complaint by his personal assistant Krishna Reddy, the police registered a case of unnatural death under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and began investigation. The SIT officials have also taken Krishna Reddy also into custody and are inquiring as he was the first one to have arrived at the leaders home and found him in the bathroom.

YS Vivekananda Reddy's driver Prasad was taken to an undisclosed destination for questioning and as per his wife's information, she claimed that the contents of the letter were false. She also said that Prasad was working with the leader for many years and they were with him since he was in Hyderabad.

They shifted to Pulivendula along with him and he used to take good care of him and the family. The night before his murder they had come back late in the night at 11:30 PM after his campaigning. The deceased leader told Prasad to go home and said that he could come to work late the next day. Upon hearing the news of his death in the morning, Prasad had rushed to the leader's house.

The contents of the letter, the handwriting and blood marks on the letter have raised suspicions about the veracity of the letter. The letter was sent for forensic analysis and reports are awaited.

On the third day the deceased leader's close family members were summoned to the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) office in Pulivendula. YS brothers Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy, Y.S. Manohar Reddy and Y.S. Pratap Reddy, former Member of Parliament Y.S. Avinash Reddy (son of Bhaskar Reddy) were questioned.

YS Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter Y.S. Sunitha Reddy, N. Rajasekhara Reddy and brother-in-law Prakash Reddy were also questioned at their residence.Meanwhile, YSRCP leaders have criticised the TDP government for resisting a CBI inquiry which would reveal the truth. Only an impartial investigation by a third party would get to the bottom of the case and reveal facts, they said.

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