india

Updated: Jan 29, 2020 21:59 IST

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s cousin has moved the high court seeking a CBI probe into the death of her father YS Vivekananda Reddy in March last year. In an embarrassment to Jagan, her cousin Sunitha Narareddy has questioned in her petition before the court why the Chief Minister was not handing over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), though it had been eight months since he assumed office.

Jagan’s uncle, and former state minister and MP, Vivekananda Reddy was found murdered at his residence in Kadapa on March 15, a couple of weeks ahead of the 2019 Assembly elections.

Sunitha said she suspected the conduct of her cousin and Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy and his father YS Bhaskar Reddy in the matter. She said that shifting of police officials investigating the case and slow pace of probe also gave credence to her suspicion.

Sunitha said that Jagan, who was the Leader of Opposition then, had demanded the CBI probe, submitted a memorandum to the Governor, and even filed a petition in the High Court. But the case hasn’t been handed over to the CBI, she said.

Sunitha also questioned the Chief Minister’s move to set up another Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the crime.

The petitioner alleged that the SIT ended up interrupting the investigation and its conduct gave rise to doubts about police’s intentions in “implicating innocent people”, so as to allow the culprits go scot-free.

The High Court, which heard the plea on Tuesday, asked the government to reply as to why it has objections to a CBI probe and posted the matter for hearing on February 6.

Vivekananda Reddy, the 68-year-old former MP, was alone at his house when unidentified persons barged in and killed him, hours before he was to launch YSR Congress Party’s election campaign in Kadapa.

Jagan Mohan Reddy had then demanded a CBI probe and blamed then ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for the killing. Jagan claimed that TDP leadership was aware of the conspiracy whenever a death occurred in his family.