MP Avinash Reddy appears before ED

Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy on Wednesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning into alleged financial transactions related to the 2019 murder case of his uncle and former Andhra Pradesh minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy.

The MP belonging to YSR Congress Party appeared before the ED officials at the agency’s regional office in Hyderabad in response to the notice issued by the Central agency.

Avinash Reddy is being questioned a day after his father Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy appeared before the Central agency, which is probing the alleged money laundering by the accused in a Rs.40 crore ‘supari (contract)' for the killing.

The ED is conducting investigation into the financial transactions by all the accused before and after the murder of Vivekananda Reddy.

The Kadapa MP is the eighth accused (A8) in the case while his father is A6.

Avinash Reddy is the cousin of former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party President, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Vivekananda Reddy, brother of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), and uncle of Jagan Mohan Reddy, was murdered at his residence in Pulivendula on March 15, 2019, weeks before the elections.

The 68-year-old former state minister and former MP was alone at his house when unidentified persons barged in and killed him.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the investigation in 2020 at the direction of the Andhra Pradesh High Court while hearing a petition by Vivekananda Reddy's daughter, Sunitha Reddy, who raised suspicion about some relatives.

Expediting the probe, the CBI in 2023 arrested Vivekananda Reddy’s cousin Bhaskar Reddy and the latter’s follower, Uday Kumar Reddy. It filed the first charge sheet in the case in 2021 and supplementary charge sheets in 2022 and 2023.

The ED began a money laundering probe on the basis of the case registered by the CBI and the charge sheets filed by it.

It was in August last year that the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR). The ED is looking into the alleged transfer of Rs 4 crore and the payment of Rs 1 crore as an advance to Shaik Dastagiri, an accused-turned-approver.

On Monday, Devireddy Shiva Shankar Reddy, A5 in the murder case, had appeared before the ED.

The Central agency during the last few days questioned Yerra Gangi Reddy and other accused in connection with the alleged financial transactions linked to the case.

The ED also questioned Uma Shankar Reddy, Sunil Yadav and Shaik Dastagiri as part of the probe into the alleged money laundering and financial transactions connected with the murder conspiracy.

Dastagiri claimed that Shiva Shankar Reddy had promised Rs.40 crore for the murder.

Last month, the ED conducted searches at multiple locations, including the premises linked to Avinash Reddy, Bhaskar Reddy, and other accused in the murder case.

The ED had seized unaccounted cash of Rs.24 lakh from the premises of Avinash Reddy.