Telangana HC reserves bail decision for Gajjala Uma Shankar Reddy in AP politician’s murder case

The Telangana High Court reserved orders on Tuesday regarding the bail application filed by Gajjala Uma Shankar Reddy, who is implicated in the high-profile murder case of Andhra Pradesh politician YS Vivekananda Reddy.

By Legal Correspondent

Hyderabad: Justice K. Lakshman of the Telangana High Court reserved orders on Tuesday regarding the bail application filed by Gajjala Uma Shankar Reddy, who is implicated in the high-profile murder case of Andhra Pradesh politician YS Vivekananda Reddy.

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During the proceedings, Uma Shankar’s counsel, Narsi Reddy, argued that his client was not involved in the crime, claiming that the identification made by the watchman, Ranganna, was inaccurate. He highlighted developments in Ranganna’s 161 statements and pointed out contradictions between the testimony provided by the approver, Dastagiri and confession statement of co accused Sunil Yadav. The counsel contended that the CCTV footage presented by the investigation agency does not pertain to Uma Shankar. Furthermore, he emphasized that his client has been in custody for over three years and urged the court to grant bail, asserting that Uma Shankar, a small businessman, poses no threat to the ongoing investigation or trial.

In opposition, CBI special counsel Anil Tanwar and counsel S. Goutham, representing the deceased’s daughter, Suneetha Narreddy, requested the court to deny bail, citing serious allegations against Uma Shankar. They underscored claims of his involvement in the planning and execution of the murder, as well as efforts to destroy evidence. Tanwar referenced forensic laboratory reports that corroborated the authenticity of the CCTV footage linked to Uma Shankar, while Goutham pointed to concerning circumstances surrounding the case, including witness intimidation and the suspicious death of witness K. Gangi Reddy. Goutham further pointed out attempts made by accused to threaten key witnesses, including Suneetha and her husband, and CBI investigation officer Ram Singh, filing cases against them. He noted that senior IAS officer Ajay Kallam had sought to withdraw his statement from the case but ceased pursuing the matter after the CBI presented recorded evidence in court. CBI failed to look into threat complaint raised by approver Dastagiri leaving lose ends in arriving at a conclusion on the threat perception in the case, the counsel stated.

The prosecution argued that the contentions raised by the defense were more appropriate for trial rather than for consideration at the bail stage. Concluding their arguments, the counsels contended that no case is made out for bail and that allowing Uma Shankar’s release could compromise the integrity of the trial, ultimately leading to a denial of justice. The court’s decision on the bail application is awaited.

2. A two-judge bench of the Telangana High Court has reserved its judgment on a writ petition contesting the legality of a police encounter that resulted in the deaths of two CPI (Maoist) leaders, Patel Sudhakar Reddy and Venkataiah. The bench, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J. Sreenivas Rao, is considering the plea filed by Prof. S. Seshaiah, President of the Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC), who alleges that the encounter was staged. The incident in question occurred on May 23, 2009, in Warangal district, where police reported the arrest and subsequent killing of the two Maoist leaders during what they claimed was a crossfire situation. The police allege that a team conducting combing operations in the Lavvala forest area encountered approximately 25 Maoists, who opened fire despite orders to surrender, resulting in a gunfight that lasted about half an hour.Petitioner argues that the encounter was fabricated and seeks the framing of criminal charges against the police officers involved. He asserted that the actions of the Tadwal police station house officer and the superintendent of MGM Hospital, who oversaw the post-mortem examination, were illegal and arbitrary. District Superintendent of Police V.C. Sajjanar defended the police actions, stating that they were based on intelligence regarding Maoist movements and were carried out in self-defense. Following an initial post-mortem at Eturunagaram Government Hospital, the High Court ordered a second examination at MGM Hospital in Warangal, instructing that the procedure be video graphed to ensure transparency. The state is currently awaiting the final post-mortem report and intends to submit a closure report to the criminal court, where the case remains pending.