Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy murder case: SC stays HC order to release Gangi Reddy on bail on July 1

The CBI terms HC’s contradictory order — cancelling existing bail but directing the accused’s release on a preset date — as the “eighth marvel in bail jurisprudence”, “Frankenstein”, and a “bad precedent”

A view of Supreme Court of Inida, in New Delhi. File | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

The Supreme Court on May 26 stayed a Telangana High Court order to release Yerra Gangi Reddy — the prime accused in the Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy murder case — on bail on July 1.

A Vacation Bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and P.S. Narasimha passed the order on the basis of a petition filed by Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter Suneetha Narreddy, represented by senior advocate Siddharth Luthra.

Ms. Narreddy highlighted that the Telangana High Court order on April 27 was out of character, as it had first cancelled the accused’s bail, asking him to surrender on May 5, only to add that he should be released on bail on July 1.

‘Bad precedent’

The CBI, which is investigating the murder case, supported Ms. Narreddy’s plea in an affidavit. In an earlier hearing, Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain had termed the portion in the High Court order concerning Mr. Yerra Gangi Reddy’s release on July 1 a “Frankenstein”. Mr. Jain said that the High Court order cancelling an existing bail and then ordering the accused’s release on a pre- scheduled date — July 1 — was the “eighth marvel in bail jurisprudence”.

The High Court had at the time reasoned that since the Supreme Court had given the CBI time till June 30 to complete the investigation into the murder case, there was no point in denying the accused his liberty beyond that point of time.

In its affidavit, the CBI said that the High Court order was a “bad precedent”.

‘Larger conspiracy’

Listing the case again on July 14, the Vacation Bench recorded that “till then, the direction issued in the order of April 27 that the ‘Court of Principal Special Judge for CBI Cases, Hyderabad, is directed to enlarge the petitioner [Gangi Reddy] on bail on July 1, on his executing a personal bond for a sum of ₹ 1 lakh with two sureties’ shall remain stayed”.

In November 2022, the Supreme Court had transferred the investigation to the CBI to probe the “larger conspiracy” behind the murder.

Former Minister Vivekananda Reddy was an uncle of the current Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy. He was found stabbed to death at his residence in Pulivendula, Kadapa district, in March 2019.