CBI Arrests Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Reddy's
Uncle - Bhaskar Reddy, in Ex-MP's murder case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's uncle - Y S Bhaskar Reddy, concerning the murder of Y S Vivekananda Reddy. Y S Bhaskar is the father of Kadapa's Lok Sabha seat MP Y S Avinash Reddy.

Mr. Y S Bhaskar is being taken to Hyderabad, Telangana, and will be produced before the provincial CBI court, the officials said. Mr. Bhaskar is charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 201 (tampering and destroying evidence), 120B (conspiracy), and 302 (murder).

The deceased Vivekananda, 68, was the younger brother of Jagan's father and late Andhra CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, was found in the blood in a pool, with stab injuries, on 15th of March 2019, at his residence in Pulivendula, Kadapa district. Bhaskar is the paternal cousin of both Vivekananda and Rajasekhara Reddy.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) speeded up the inquiry in the case after the Honourable Supreme Court constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) the previous week and mandated it to complete the investigation by the 30th of April. The CBI officials said a CBI team reached Bhaskar Reddy's house with an arrest memo on Sunday morning and issued it to his wife, Y S Lakshmi. The central agency has also taken Bhaskar's phone.

The CBI submitted a memorandum opposing the bail petition of Sunil Yadav, an accused in this case, in which the CBI alleged that Bhaskar Reddy and his son Avinash Reddy conspired to eliminate the Ex—MP Vivekananda Reddy over political dominance in the Kadapa region. Bhaskar and Avinash Reddy were unhappy that even though they defeated Vivekananda in the MLC elections, he had started consolidating his political power in the area, which was against the latter's interest.

They allegedly hired staff - including R Dastagir, Sunil Yadav, and Y Gangi Reddy, who managed to work for Mr. Vivekananda and reported his movements to Avinash Reddy. The CBI stated that Mr. Avinash and his father - Mr. Bhaskar, had hatched the plot to eliminate Vivekananda and then erased evidence and tried to manage to shelter themselves.