It was a major setback for AP chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy as the Supreme Court on Tuesday transferred former MP Y S Vivekananda Reddy murder case to the Telangana court. The Supreme Court had directed the CBI officials to shift the case to the CBI court in Hyderabad.

The court direction came in the light of dissatisfaction expressed by the victim’s wife and daughter. The family members have been alleging that the Andhra Pradesh police and others were threatening the accused in the cases. They have also alleged that the AP police were not cooperating with the CBI to proceed further on investigation.

Vivekananda Reddy’s widow Sowbhagyamma and daughter Dr Sunitha Reddy have filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking transfer of the case to any other state. Earlier, the CBI too had filed an affidavit in the court stating that the Andhra Pradesh police were not cooperating with them in investigation.

Reacting to all these, the Supreme Court expressed doubts over the murder of the former MP and former minister, who is paternal uncle of Jagan Mohan Reddy. The apex court found that the evidence in the case was destroyed by some people, while the accused are being saved.

Dr Sunitha Reddy alleged that the accused and the witnesses were turning hostile and her brother Jagan Mohan Reddy was not helping her to find the real culprits in the case. She made several representations to the CBI and the court on early completion of the investigation in vain.

Vivekananda Reddy was found dead in a pool of blood in his residence at Pulivendula on March 15, 2019. While Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that the TDP leaders were behind the murder, the TDP had been accusing Jagan Mohan Reddy of killing his uncle for political mileage.