ED interrogates prime accused in Viveka Reddy murder case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday questioned the prime accused – Yerra Gangi Reddy – in connection with the alleged financial transactions linked to the murder of former Andhra Pradesh minister Y S Vivekananda Reddy in March 2019, people familiar with the development said.

Gangi Reddy, who is accused no. 1 in the murder case, appeared before the ED authorities at their office in Hyderabad, as part of the investigation into the money trail allegedly associated with the murder of Vivekananda Reddy, popularly known as Viveka.

According to an official close to the ED, the questioning focused on alleged money laundering, financial transactions and the movement of funds connected with the conspiracy surrounding Viveka’s murder.

“The ED authorities are also examining his bank account transactions from 2019 onwards as part of efforts to establish the source and movement of funds allegedly used in the case,” he said.

The ED is particularly examining allegations of a ₹40-crore deal or “supari” for carrying out the murder and the alleged payment of ₹1 crore as an advance to Shaik Dastagiri, one of the alleged killers who later turned an approver in the case.

“Investigators are also looking into the alleged transfer of ₹4 crore in cash and the source of the money,” the official said.

On September 25, the ED questioned Sunil Yadav (A-2) about the alleged financial aspects of the murder. Yadav provided some vital clues to the investigating authorities about the purported “supari” agreement and the manner in which funds were allegedly arranged, the official quoted above said.

Yadav is also understood to have expressed apprehension about possible threats to his life if the information disclosed during the investigation became public. The ED officials reportedly assured him that the information provided during the questioning would be kept confidential.

The agency has also questioned Dastagiri, who subsequently turned approver in the murder case.

On August 21, the ED conducted searches at six premises in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana belonging to YSR Congress party parliamentarian Y S Avinash Reddy, who was A-7 and his father Y S Bhaskar Reddy (A-8).

The agency also searched the residences of other accused including Yerra Gangi Reddy (A-1), Sunil Yadav (A-2), Devireddy Sivashankar Reddy (A-5), and Dastagiri (A-4).

The ED has registered a separate money laundering case based on the investigation and findings of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has been probing the murder and related allegations.

While the CBI investigation is focused on the circumstances surrounding Vivekananda Reddy’s killing, the ED is examining the financial trail allegedly connected with the crime.

Vivekananda Reddy, a former minister and Parliamentarian, was found dead at his residence in Pulivendula in Kadapa district in March 2019. His death triggered a major political controversy and prolonged legal proceedings, with the CBI subsequently taking up the investigation into the murder.