YS Viveka murder case: Telangana High Court cancels Yerra Gangi Reddy’s bail

HYDERABAD: In yet another significant development in the YS Vivekananda Reddy murder case, the Telangana High Court on Thursday cancelled the bail granted to prime accused Yerra Gangi Reddy. It directed Gangi Reddy to surrender himself before a CBI court on or before May 5, 2023. The High Court also asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to arrest the prime accused if he fails to surrender in a CBI court within the prescribed deadline.

The Telangana High Court gave its order in connection with a CBI petition seeking cancellation of the default bail granted to Yerra Gangi Reddy on June 27, 2019. In yet another development, the High Court also directed that Gangi Reddy be granted default bail on July 1, 2023 since the CBI is expected to wind up its investigation into the case by June 30, 2023, as ordered by the Supreme Court. It ordered that Gangi Reddy be granted the bail on a surety of Rs 1.5 lakh.

The CBI moved the Telangana High Court for the cancellation of Gangi Reddy’s bail after the Supreme Court transferred the YS Vivekananda Reddy murder case and all other related matters out of the purview of the Andhra Pradesh High Court. The CBI, in its arguments, claimed that Gangi Reddy had been out on bail for a long time while expressing apprehensions that he could influence the witnesses in the case. Concurring with the CBI’s contention, the Telangana High Court cancelled the default bail of the prime accused.

According to the CBI case, Yerra Gangi Reddy is the kingpin in the gruesome murder of YS Vivekananda Reddy. The investigating agency alleges that the former close aide of Vivekananda Reddy perpetrated the crime along with Shaik Dastagiri and other accused.

YS Vivekananda Reddy was found murdered in his Pulivendula house in the wee hours of March 15, 2019. Gangi Reddy became eligible for a default bail amid dramatic circumstances after the CBI failed to file a chargesheet in the case within the mandatory 90 days. Subsequently, the Andhra Pradesh High Court upheld the Pulivendula court order granting Gangi Reddy the default bail, prompting the Central probe agency to approach the Supreme Court.

But with the apex court transferring the main case and all other related matters out of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on a request from Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter Dr Sunitha, the CBI approached the Telangana High Court seeking cancellation of Gangi Reddy’s bail. Dr Sunitha also impleaded herself in the CBI petition in this regard.

The Telangana High Court is also scheduled to hear the anticipatory bail petition of Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy Thursday afternoon.