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Synopsis

A vacation bench of the Supreme Court today deferred hearing of the plea filed by Suneetha Narreddy, daughter of former Andhra Pradesh Minister Y S Vivekananda Reddy, challenging the anticipatory bail granted to YSRCP MP from Kadapa Y S Avinash Reddy, in connection to the case registered against him for murdering the former minister.

Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, while refusing to issue notice in the plea ordered that the matter be listed on June 19.

A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal on Friday had decided to hear Nareddy's plea against the Telangana High Court's judgement of May 31 granting anticipatory bail to Avinash Reddy.

When the case was taken up today, the vacation bench refused to allow any senior lawyer appear before it and therefore, Nareddy appeared in person before the bench.

"We will hear this after vacations, what is the urgency to hear this now?", the bench asked Nareddy.

To this, Nareddy replied saying that the accused was not cooperating with the investigation.

When Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra tried to make a submission, the bench said, "You will put us in trouble for discriminating..you cannot argue, you may only assist.."

Further noting that there may be some technical aspects to the case, the bench ordered that the case be listed next week before a bench that would be inclined to hear senior counsels.

A single judge bench of the High Court, Justice M Laxman had allowed bail to Avinash Reddy stating "this court does not find any justification for a custodial interrogation of the petitioner by the CBI authorities."

It also said, "The gravity of accusation is not yet clearly brought on record by the CBI so far. The entire case rests upon hear-say evidence and assumptive evidence. No direct evidence is available against the petitioner to prove his participation in larger conspiracy. They tried to rely upon the improved case of the witnesses and the approver." 

The instant special leave petition, filed by Nareddy contended that the High Court allowed the said the anticipatory bail of the accused respondent in a murder case, contrary to the law laid down by this court, by holding a mini trial and giving findings and making comments on the merits of the prosecution case. She claimed the High Court virtually accepted the entire case put forth by the accused and disregarded the evidence collected by the CBI.

"The CBI wanted to arrest him, however, they were unable to do so and they were obstructed by him and his large number of his supporters/goons who had camped outside the Hospital, where he took shelter to avoid arrest on the pretext of his mother’s alleged health issues," it claimed.

The plea also alleged the respondent, along with other accused, was successful in destroying the scene of offence in the presence of the state police and had propagated the story that the deceased had died due to a heart attack. 

On May 23, the apex court had shown displeasure with the Telangana High Court over delay in deciding anticipatory bail of Avinash Reddy. 

Recently, the apex court had taken an exception to the High Court's direction to the CBI to quiz Kadapa MP in Q and A form in the case.

Former Minister Vivekananda Reddy, one of the brothers of the late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, and uncle of current Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was found murdered at his residence in Pulivendula in Kadapa district, on the night of March 15, 2019, a few weeks before the Assembly elections in the State.