New Delhi: Former Andhra Pradesh minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter N. Suneetha Reddy on Friday found fault with the delay in the probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into her father’s murder.
Claiming that it was a political murder, she visited the CBI headquarters in New Delhi to enquire about the delay in the probe by the central agency.
Later, talking to reporters, she reiterated that she has doubts about some of her family members.
She said though it has been more than two years since the murder of the brother of (undivided) Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and uncle of present (bifurcated Andhra) Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, those involved have not been arrested.
She expressed her unhappiness over the way the investigation into the case is progressing. “If this can happen in the murder case of a brother of former CM, what will be the plight of a common man. How long we have to wait for justice,” she asked.
Suneetha Reddy, on whose petition the Andhra Pradesh High Court had last year ordered a CBI probe, claimed that many people advised her to drop the case but she made it clear that she wants to continue her fight for justice.
“How many more witnesses have to die before the investigations in the case will be completed,” she asked.
Suneetha Reddy said she needs the support of all in her fight for justice. She appealed for cooperation in the early completion of the probe.
She also stated that Rajasekhara Reddy’s daughter Y.S. Sharmila assured her of support.
“I met some officials in connection with my father’s murder case. They stated that murders are common in the Kadapa area. I couldn’t understand how murders can be common,” she said.
She pointed out that she gave the list of people whom she suspects along with the petition filed in the High Court. The names in the list include her cousin and MP Avinash Reddy, and his father Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy, Y.S. Manohar Reddy and former minister Adinarayana Reddy.
“I don’t think there are any financial reasons behind the murder. As far as I know, this was a political murder,” she said
She said she did not get any response from the state government to her request to expedite the probe into the case. She said the delay in the probe could lead to harm to some witnesses. She expressed the apprehension that the evidence could be wiped out.
Suneetha Reddy said she approached all including Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy for justice. She said she came before the media as she did not get justice with the CBI probe.
It was in July last year that the CBI began to probe into the case. This came four months after the Andhra Pradesh High Court ordered a probe by the central agency.
Observing that there is no progress in the investigation even after nearly a year, the high court on March 11 had directed that the case be investigated by the CBI.
The court gave the direction on petitions filed by Suneetha Reddy, her husband, and others.
The former state minister and MP was found murdered at his residence in Kadapa on March 15, 2019, a few days before the election.
The 68-year-old leader was alone at his house when unidentified persons barged in and killed him. He was killed hours before he was to launch YSR Congress Party’s election campaign in Kadapa.
Though three Special Investigation Teams (SITs) conducted the probe, they failed to solve the mystery.
Suneetha Reddy expressed suspicion over the conduct of her cousin and Kadapa MP Avinash Reddy and his father Bhaskar Reddy.
In her petition filed in November, she said the shifting of police officials investigating the case and the slow pace at which the probe was being carried out also gave rise to suspicion.
She had wondered why Jagan Mohan Reddy did not hand over the case to the CBI though as the then Leader of Opposition he had raised the demand and submitted a memorandum to the Governor.
Suneetha Reddy also questioned the wisdom of the Chief Minister in constituting another SIT to investigate the crime, alleging that the SIT ended up interrupting the investigation and its conduct gave rise to several doubts about the intention of the state police to implicate innocent people in the case, so as to allow the real culprits to go scot-free.
IANS