The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the anticipatory bail plea of YSR Congress Party Lok Sabha member Y S Avinash Reddy, who is under the CBI scanner in the murder of former Andhra Pradesh Minister Y S Vivekananda Reddy, to be placed before a vacation bench of the Telangana High Court on May 25.
The apex court observed it was “not happy” about no orders being passed on the anticipatory bail application, which was taken up for hearing after the top court on April 24 set aside the high court order asking the CBI to provide a written questionnaire to Y S Avinash Reddy.
On April 28, the high court had posted the hearing on the anticipatory bail plea of Y S Avinash Reddy for June 5.
“We are inclined to accept the prayer as the anticipatory bail application which was taken up pursuant to the order passed by this court on April 24, 2023 was heard on April 27 .and no orders were passed. We direct that the will be placed before the next vacation bench on May 25 and necessary orders be passed after hearing all the parties,” a vacation bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and P S Narasimha said.
The apex court had on April 24 termed the Telangana High Court’s directions as “atrocious and unacceptable” and had set aside its order asking the CBI, probing the murder case, to provide a written questionnaire to Y S Avinash Reddy which he could answer.
The top court had, however, said the high court can proceed with the hearing on the anticipatory bail plea of the lawmaker without being influenced by its observations.
In its order passed on Tuesday, the apex court clarified that the hearing on the anticipatory bail plea by the earlier bench will not come in the way of the vacation bench hearing it.
During the hearing, the bench asked whether the anticipatory bail petition was heard by the high court after the apex court’s April 24 order.
One of the advocates appearing in the matter said the plea was heard by the high court on two days but no orders have been passed.
Avinash Reddy is a nephew of Y S Vivekananda Reddy and Andhra Pradesh Chief minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy’s cousin.
On April 21, the top court had stayed the protection from arrest granted to Avinash Reddy till April 25.
The apex court was then hearing a plea filed by Suneetha Narreddy, daughter of Y S Vivekananda Reddy, challenging the high court order.
Vivekananda Reddy, one of the brothers of the 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.
The Telangana High Court had on April 18 directed the YSRCP MP to appear for examination before the CBI every day.
Avinash Reddy had filed the anticipatory bail petition in the high court ahead of appearing before the CBI.
His father Y S Bhaskar Reddy, uncle of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, was arrested by the CBI on April 16 in connection with the murder of Vivekananda Reddy.
The murder case was initially probed by a special investigation team (SIT) of the state CID but was handed over to the CBI in July 2020.
The CBI filed a charge sheet on October 26, 2021 and followed it up with a supplementary charge sheet on January 31, 2022.
