Justice K. Lakshman of Telangana High Court on Monday dismissed criminal petitions filed by Uday Kumar Reddy and Bhaskar Reddy, who are presently lodged in Chanchalguda central prison, seeking bail in the case of murder of Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy being investigated by the CBI.
“There is prima facie and reasonable ground to believe that the two petitioners (the accused in the murder case) have committed the offence which is serious and grave in nature,” the judge said in the order. Justice Lakshman noted that serious allegations had been levelled against both the accused.
Prima facie there was evidence that they were part of the conspiracy in committing the murder and that they were trying to destroy the evidence, the judge said in the order. The murder victim, Mr. Vivekananda Reddy, is paternal uncle of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The seventh accused Bhaskar Reddy is father of Kadapa MP of YSRCP Avinash Reddy. The MP is the eighth accused in the murder case. He secured direction from Telangana HC not to arrest him in the case. The HC direction was challenged in the Supreme Court.
Noting that all of them were influential persons, the judge said the possibility of the petitioners influencing or threatening the witnesses cannot be ruled out. In such event, it would be difficult for the trial court to conduct trial in fair manner. The petitioners’ counsel contention that investigating officer can seek for cancellation of bail of the accused if the latter influence witnesses cannot be accepted, the order said.
Referring to the veracity of the statements of the witnesses, including that of the approver in the case, the judge said the trial court can take a call on the matter while conducting the trial. The reliability of the witnesses’ statements cannot be considered at the stage of adjudication of their bail petitions, the order said.
