Supreme Court transfers Vivekananda Reddy murder case to Hyderabad CBI court

Bench said that the doubts raised by Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter, Suneetha Narreddy, and his wife about getting a fair trial and investigation in Andhra Pradesh were reasonable

The Supreme Court on Tuesday transferred to a CBI court in Hyderabad the trial and probe into the larger conspiracy behind the murder of former Andhra Pradesh Minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy.

The former Minister is an uncle of the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy.

A Bench led by Justice M.R. Shah said the doubts raised by Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter, Suneetha Narreddy, and his wife about getting a fair trial and investigation in Andhra Pradesh were reasonable.

Vivekananda Reddy was stabbed to death at his residence in Pulivendula, Kadapa district, in March 2019.

“The petitioners being the daughter and wife of the deceased have a fundamental right to get justice as victims… they have legitimate expectation that the criminal trial is conducted in a fair manner,” the court observed in a judgment.

“Under the circumstances, we are of the opinion that this is a case to transfer the trial and other investigation on larger conspiracy and destruction of evidence to a State other than Andhra Pradesh. As the settled position of law, justice is not only to be done, but also seen to have been done… If the trial is not free and fair, the judicial system would be at stake affecting the confidence of the public in the system,” the court said.

The Bench shifted the case to neighbouring Hyderabad to avoid causing any hassle to the large number of witnesses.