Vivekananda Reddy murder: Approver questioned in harassment case

Inquiry officer records Shaik Dastagiri’s statement about the harassment he was subjected to when he was a remand prisoner in Kadapa Jail

Amaravati: Shaik Dastagiri, an accused-turned-approver in the murder of former Andhra Pradesh minister YS Vivekananda Reddy, was questioned on Friday in connection with the alleged threats to him during his incarceration in Kadapa Jail.

Rajahmundry Central Jail Superintendent S Rahul questioned Dastagiri for three hours in Kadapa Jail. The inquiry officer recorded his statement about the harassment he was subjected to when he was a remand prisoner from October 2023 to February 2024. After the questioning, Dastagiri returned to his home town Pulivendula.

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The inquiry officer appointed by the State government will continue his investigation on Saturday. He is likely to question Dr D. Chaitanya Reddy, son of murder accused Shivashankar Reddy and Prakash Reddy, former superintendent of Kadapa Jail.

Chaitanya Reddy and Prakash Reddy are among four persons booked by Pulivendula Police in Kadapa district on Wednesday on a complaint by Dastagiri. Nagaraju, former Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Jammalamadugu and Eswaraiah, former Circle Inspector of Erraguntla were the other persons booked by the police.

Dastagiri alleged that he was harassed and threatened when he was a remand prisoner in Kadapa jail from October 2023 to February 2024. He alleged that DSP Nagaraju and CI Eswaraiah pressured him to support YSR Congress leaders in the case. Dastagiri also alleged that Dr Chaitanya Reddy threatened him in November 2023 within the Kadapa jail, demanding he testify against CBI SP Ram Singh.

Dastagiri claims that Chaitanya Reddy offered him Rs 20 crore to falsely implicate Ram Singh. He also alleges that jail superintendent Prakash harassed him during his incarceration. The approver said though he complained of harassment in the past, no action was taken as YSR Congress was in power. Dastagiri, who was accused number four in the sensational murder case but later turned approver, said on many occasions that he faced a threat to his life. Dastagiri, who had worked as the driver of Vivekananda Reddy, had alleged that the threat to his life and the lives of his family members increased after he gave two statements to the CBI in the case in 2021 and 2022.

Vivekananda Reddy, brother of former chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and uncle of former chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, was murdered at his residence in Pulivendula on March 15, 2019, weeks before the elections. The 68-year-old former state minister and former MP was alone at his house when unidentified persons barged in and killed him.

The CBI took over the investigation into the case in 2020 on the direction of the Andhra Pradesh High Court while hearing a petition of Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter Suneetha Reddy, who raised suspicion about some relatives. Expediting the probe into the case, the CBI arrested YSR Congress leader and Kadapa MP Y. S. Avinash Reddy’s father Y. S. Bhaskar Reddy and their follower Uday Kumar Reddy in 2023. Avinash Reddy, cousin of Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, was also named as an accused by the CBI.