A police officer in Andhra Pradesh has fired off a legal notice to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, calling out what he sees as false claims linking him to the 2019 murder of former minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy. J. Shankariah, who was the Circle Inspector in Pulivendula at the time of the killing, wants Naidu to issue a public apology in the state Assembly and pay him Rs 1.45 crore in damages for the harm to his reputation.
Shankariah, now posted in the Kurnool Range’s Vacancy Reserve, says Naidu repeatedly made “malicious and baseless” accusations during the Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy murder investigation. The chief minister alleged that Shankariah mishandled the case and let suspects wipe away bloodstains and other evidence right in front of him. Shankariah sent the notice on September 18 through his lawyer, G. Dharneshwar Reddy.
The drama dates back to March 15, 2019, when Vivekananda Reddy, a 68-year-old former MP and state minister, was brutally attacked and killed at his home in Pulivendula. He was the brother of ex-Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and uncle to YSR Congress Party leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. At the time, polls were just weeks away, and Vivekananda Reddy was home alone when attackers broke in.
Just a week after the murder, authorities suspended Shankariah for failing in his duties. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) stepped in to handle the probe in 2020, following orders from the Andhra Pradesh High Court. This came after Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter, Suneetha Reddy, filed a petition raising suspicions about family members’ involvement in the Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy murder case.
During the CBI inquiry, Shankariah gave a statement claiming Kadapa MP Avinash Reddy and his aide, Devireddy Shiva Shankar Reddy, pressured him not to file the murder case or send the body for autopsy. He also said they warned him against mentioning injury marks on the victim’s body. But Shankariah never repeated this under oath before a magistrate. The CBI later told the court he had flipped his story under influence from the accused. The YSR Congress government reinstated him in October 2021.
The case heated up again in 2023 when the CBI arrested Avinash Reddy’s father, Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy, and their associate Uday Kumar Reddy. Avinash Reddy, also charged in the plot, got anticipatory bail from the Telangana High Court.
Shankariah insists Naidu’s public jabs have wrecked his career and personal life, and he’s standing firm on his demand for justice in this long-running Andhra Pradesh political scandal.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
