The Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday began its investigation into the murder of former minister Vivekananda Reddy, younger brother of late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and uncle of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

A CBI team led by an SP arrived in Cuddapah to begin its investigation into the murder of Vivekananda Reddy who was found dead under suspicious circumstances at his residence in Pulivendula on March 15, 2019.

At the CBI’s superintendent of police office in Cudddapah, the home town of Vivekananda, the CBI slueths are taking all the details of the case from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which was set up by the previous government to probe the murder. The SIT has handed over the files and records related to the murder of the slain Congress leader to the CBI slueths.

Three SITs were constituted by the previous government to probe the murder. At least 1,300 witnesses were examined and narco analysis was conducted on three suspects.

With the SIT probe making no headway, the slain leader’s wife Sowbhagyamma, his daughter Sunitha, son-in-law Narreddy Rajasekhar Reddy petitoned the High Court sought a CBI probe into the murder citing the tardy progress of SIT investigation. On March 10, 2020, the Andhra Pradesh High Court entrusted the investigation to the CBI.

Nearly a year after Jagan Mohan Reddy became the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, the CBI invesitgation did not make any headway into the murder of 68-year-old Vivekananda Reddy who was hacked to death by unidentified assailants inside his house. Viveka, as he was popularly known, was murdered ahead of the assembly and parliamentary elections. Viveka had served as a former minister, two-time MLA and a two-time MP.