Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Telangana High Court to place the anticipatory bail application of YSRCP MP YS Avinash Reddy, an accused in the YS Vivekananda Reddy murder case.
A vacation bench of justices JK Maheshwari and PS Narasimha directed the Telangana HC to place Avinash Reddy’s bail plea before the latter’s vacation bench for a hearing on May 25.
The top court said that they were not happy with HC for not passing the order after its direction. It also remarked how much time it takes to grant anticipatory bail.
Avinash Reddy is the incumbent lawmaker from the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency and has been named as an accused in Vivekananada’s murder.
Vivekananda Reddy, one of the brothers of late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, was found murdered at his residence in Pulivendula in Kadapa district on the night of March 15, 2019, weeks before the Assembly elections in the state.
On April 24, the top court set aside a Telangana High Court order granting interim relief from arrest to the Kadapa MP and said that such a decision prejudices the investigation. However, it granted CBI time till June 30, 2023, to complete its investigation into the case.
Following the SC’s decision, the Telangana High Court heard Avinash’s anticipatory bail plea on April 27 and 28 but proceeded to adjourn the hearing until June 5.
Taking note of this delay, the SC’s vacation bench said, “We are inclined to grant the prayer as anticipatory bail application which was taken up after the SC order was heard on April 27 and April 28, and no orders were passed. We direct that the plea will be placed before the next vacation bench on May 25 and necessary orders be passed after hearing all the parties.”
The court also made it clear that the earlier bench which heard the matter would not come in the way of the vacation court of the High Court considering this matter on May 25.
The bench at the same time also expressed its displeasure with regards to Reddy not appearing before the CBI but declined to direct the central agency to exempt him from interrogation in view of his mother’s health condition.
“We are not happy from both angles – court not passing the order and how much times it takes but at the same time notice was issued by the CBI and you didn’t appear,” the bench remarked.
Meanwhile, Senior Advocate VV Giri, who was appearing on behalf of the respondent, told the court that his client was being hounded. “The application was heard on two days on the 27th and 28th (April) but has been adjourned and is posted on June 5. Earlier, we didn’t receive the CBI notice but now we have. My client’s father was arrested and my client is being hounded,” Giri said.
Avinash had failed to appear before the central agency on May 16 and May 19 after being summoned to probe Vivekananda’s murder.
The CBI took over the investigation in July 2020 on the orders of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh and began quizzing Avinash in connection with the case.
His father YS Bhaskar Reddy, uncle of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, was arrested by the CBI on April 16 in connection with the murder.
Meanwhile, CBI officials, on Monday, reached Vishwa Bharati Hospital in Kurnool to take the YSRCP lawmaker into custody for questioning after he rejected the CBI summons.
According to the summons, he was directed to appear before the probe agency on May 22 at 11:00 AM.
However, Avinash failed to appear and instead wrote to the CBI seeking a 10-day extension to appear before the central agency by citing his mother’s hospitalisation on account of poor health.
(With additional inputs from online desk)
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Telangana High Court to place the anticipatory bail application of YSRCP MP YS Avinash Reddy, an accused in the YS Vivekananda Reddy murder case.
A vacation bench of justices JK Maheshwari and PS Narasimha directed the Telangana HC to place Avinash Reddy’s bail plea before the latter’s vacation bench for a hearing on May 25.
The top court said that they were not happy with HC for not passing the order after its direction. It also remarked how much time it takes to grant anticipatory bail.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Avinash Reddy is the incumbent lawmaker from the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency and has been named as an accused in Vivekananada’s murder.
Vivekananda Reddy, one of the brothers of late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, was found murdered at his residence in Pulivendula in Kadapa district on the night of March 15, 2019, weeks before the Assembly elections in the state.
On April 24, the top court set aside a Telangana High Court order granting interim relief from arrest to the Kadapa MP and said that such a decision prejudices the investigation. However, it granted CBI time till June 30, 2023, to complete its investigation into the case.
Following the SC’s decision, the Telangana High Court heard Avinash’s anticipatory bail plea on April 27 and 28 but proceeded to adjourn the hearing until June 5.
Taking note of this delay, the SC’s vacation bench said, “We are inclined to grant the prayer as anticipatory bail application which was taken up after the SC order was heard on April 27 and April 28, and no orders were passed. We direct that the plea will be placed before the next vacation bench on May 25 and necessary orders be passed after hearing all the parties.”
The court also made it clear that the earlier bench which heard the matter would not come in the way of the vacation court of the High Court considering this matter on May 25.
The bench at the same time also expressed its displeasure with regards to Reddy not appearing before the CBI but declined to direct the central agency to exempt him from interrogation in view of his mother’s health condition.
“We are not happy from both angles – court not passing the order and how much times it takes but at the same time notice was issued by the CBI and you didn’t appear,” the bench remarked.
Meanwhile, Senior Advocate VV Giri, who was appearing on behalf of the respondent, told the court that his client was being hounded. “The application was heard on two days on the 27th and 28th (April) but has been adjourned and is posted on June 5. Earlier, we didn’t receive the CBI notice but now we have. My client’s father was arrested and my client is being hounded,” Giri said.
Avinash had failed to appear before the central agency on May 16 and May 19 after being summoned to probe Vivekananda’s murder.
The CBI took over the investigation in July 2020 on the orders of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh and began quizzing Avinash in connection with the case.
His father YS Bhaskar Reddy, uncle of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, was arrested by the CBI on April 16 in connection with the murder.
Meanwhile, CBI officials, on Monday, reached Vishwa Bharati Hospital in Kurnool to take the YSRCP lawmaker into custody for questioning after he rejected the CBI summons.
According to the summons, he was directed to appear before the probe agency on May 22 at 11:00 AM.
However, Avinash failed to appear and instead wrote to the CBI seeking a 10-day extension to appear before the central agency by citing his mother’s hospitalisation on account of poor health.
(With additional inputs from online desk)
