Supreme Court notice to YSRCP MP Avinash Reddy on plea challenging his anticipatory bail

Telangana High Court had allowed bail to Avinash Reddy stating that it found no justification for his custodial interrogation by CBI.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to Kadapa MP Y S Avinash Reddy on a plea against the Telangana High Court's May 31 order granting him anticipatory bail in connection with the murder case of former Andhra Pradesh Minister Y S Vivekananda Reddy.

A vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and M M Sundresh sought a response from YSRCP leader and the CBI by July 3 on a petition filed by Suneetha Narreddy, daughter of the deceased.

Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that this was the unfortunate case where the High Court granted anticipatory bail to the accused respondent even though the CBI said there was no cooperation from him during the investigation.

After the brief submission, the court sought to fix the matter for consideration on July 7.

However, the counsel said a connected matter is coming up for hearing on July 3, the court then advanced the next date of hearing.

On May 31, the High Court's single judge bench of Justice M Laxman allowed bail to Avinash Reddy stating "this court does not find any justification for a custodial interrogation of the petitioner by the CBI authorities."

It had also said, "The gravity of accusation is not yet clearly brought on record by the CBI so far. The entire case rests upon hear-say evidence and assumptive evidence. No direct evidence is available against the petitioner to prove his participation in a larger conspiracy. They tried to rely upon the improved case of the witnesses and the approver."

The special leave petition by Narreddy contended that the High Court allowed the anticipatory bail of the accused respondent in a murder case, contrary to the law laid down by this court, by holding a mini trial and giving findings and making comments on the merits of the prosecution case. She claimed the High Court virtually accepted the entire case put forth by the accused and disregarded the evidence collected by the CBI.

Former Minister Vivekananda Reddy, one of the brothers of the late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, and uncle of current Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was found murdered at his residence in Pulivendula in Kadapa district, on the night of March 15, 2019, a few weeks before the Assembly elections in the State.