SC to hear plea against HC order on Y S Avinash Reddy

New Delhi : A bench headed by the CJI D Y Chandrachud here on Thursday agreed to the plea of Y S Suneetha Reddy to hear her petition seeking cancellation of protection against arrest granted to Y S Avinash Reddy, YSRCP MP, by the Telangana High Court till April 25.

Avinash Reddy was given the relief when he approached the High Court seeking anticipatory bail against the arrest. The High Court which asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) not to arrest the MP till April 25 said the agency could question him in connection with the murder of his uncle and former MP Y S Vivekananda Reddy in March 2019.

The High Court has asked the petitioner to regularly appear before the CBI and cooperate with the investigating agency.

Suneetha Reddy filed a petition in the Supreme Court here on Thursday against the relief given. When the CJI asked why they could not hear the case later, senior Counsel Sidhartha Luthra, appearing for Suneetha submitted that it might be too late as there was a deadline of April 30 for the case's investigation to be completed by the investigating agency and hence it was imperative that the MP was in the custody of the agency.

The bench then agreed to the suggestion and said it would be heard on Friday. A bench comprising Chief Justice Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha will hear the petition.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was questioning Kadapa MP Y. S. Avinash Reddy for the second consecutive day on Thursday in former minister Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy's murder case.

Meanwhile, Avinash Reddy, who was grilled for about eight hours on Wednesday, appeared before the agency at its regional office in Hyderabad at 10.30 am.

The CBI officials were also questioning Avinash Reddy's father Y S Bhaskar Reddy and another accused G Uday Kumar Reddy for the second day. The duo was brought from Chanchalguda Jail to the CBI office.

On the first day, the CBI officials had questioned them separately and it is not clear if Avinash Reddy will be questioned in the presence of his father and Uday Kumar Reddy.

The CBI team is gathering information from the accused about the reasons for the murder, events of the day when the crime was committed and their movements on the day.

Avinash Reddy, cousin of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, has to appear daily before the CBI till April 25, as per the direction of the Telangana High Court.