Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy

Personal life

Being born into a middle-class family on 8 August 1951 to Y. S. Raja Reddy and Y. S. Jayamma, Vivekananda Reddy was the younger brother of the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy. He was a graduate in agriculture from S. V. Agricultural College in Tirupati. He has one daughter.

Political career

Vivekananda Reddy was the designer of Lingala Canal in Kadapa district. He began his services to the community through the Lions Club, became its district governor and the Samithi president.

He was twice elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Pulivendula constituency, in 1989 and 1994. Then, in the elections of 1999, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Kadapa constituency with a majority of over 26,000 votes. In 2004 elections he increased that majority to over 130,000 votes.

In September 2009, he was elected as a member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council. On 30 November 2010, he became Agriculture Minister in the Andhra Pradesh cabinet headed by N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Later, in 2011, he contested the Pulivendula by-elections caused due to Jaganmohan Reddy and his mother, Y. S. Vijayamma, leaving the Congress party to form YSR Congress Party. He stood as the Congress candidate against his sister-in-law and just managed to secure his deposit after finishing in second place but some 80,000 votes behind Y. S. Vijayamma.

He was found dead at his residence in Pulivendula on 15 March 2019. His party YSRCP demanded a CBI probe for investigation.

Family tree

Murder

As per post-mortem reports, Vivekananda Reddy has been brutally murdered and found at his residence in Kadapa on 15 March 2019. The death was first reported as a heart attack but later found to be a murder which led to further suspicion. The murder took place few weeks before the 2019 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly Elections. As per the coroner's report, seven stab wounds were found on his body made by a sharp object.

According to reports, he was alone at his residence in Pulivendula the night before his murder. Two days earlier, he was seen at Jaganmohan Reddy's residence at Hyderabad. YSRCP expressed distrust of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the TDP government and demanded a CBI investigation into the murder.

A prime suspect, Srinivasulu Reddy, killed himself by taking sleeping pills. Reportedly, in a suicide note, he alleged he was harassed by the police with false allegations. Another suspect, Parameswara Reddy, an old friend of Vivekananda Reddy, has claimed he was victimised and harassed in the name of the probe.

Jaganmohan Reddy petitioned the High court seeking a CBI inquiry into his uncle's murder. After a change of government, in May 2019 he constituted a new SIT of the state police to probe the murder and tried to withdraw his petition in the court demanding CBI probe.

In January 2020, his daughter filed a writ petition in High Court seeking a CBI investigation and expressed doubts over the investigation by SIT. She alleged suspicion of Y. S. Avinash Reddy who was one of the first to arrive at the murder scene.

In March 2020, the High Court expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of progress in the investigation by the state police as the murder completed a year. The court ordered CBI to begin the investigation and complete at the earliest. In June 2021, CBI resumed the investigation which was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

In February 2023, CBI mentioned that Y. S. Avinash Reddy tried to conceal the design of the murder by creating a false theory of heart attack in the counter affidavit filed in the Telangana High court.

In March 2023, the Supreme Court of India expressed dissatisfaction on the status report submitted by the CBI by stating that the process of investigation is hindered and delayed allowing the original culprits to escape. The court directed the CBI to replace the investigation officer to speed up the investigation by setting up a new SIT of 6 members and a deadline to conclude the investigation by 30 April 2023. Later again the Supreme Court of India has extended the deadline till 30 June 2023. There was a hearing of the Supreme court on the case on 22 April 2024.

In popular culture

In 2024, Reddy was portrayed in the film Vivekam.

Hathya, a Telugu movie loosely based on his murder mystery investigation, was released in 2025.

References

References

1. (15 March 2019). "Former Andhra Pradesh minister YS Vivekananda Reddy breathes his last". My Nation.
2. (15 March 2019). "YSR's brother Vivekananda Reddy found dead, case for unnatural death filed". [[The Economic Times]].
3. "1999 India General (13th Lok Sabha) Elections Results".
4. [https://ceoandhra.nic.in/Statistical2004.pdf Report on General Elections to Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh, Official website of the Chief Electoral Officer, Andhra Pradesh]
5. (16 March 2019). "Ex-minister YS Vivekananda Reddy known as people's leader". New Indian Express.
6. (15 March 2019). "Jagan Reddy's Uncle Found Dead At Home, Case Of Unnatural Death Filed". NDTV.
7. (15 March 2019). "YSRCP leader YS Vivekananda Reddy murdered in Andhra's Pulivendra". [[The Times of India]].
8. (15 March 2019). "YSR Congress leader Vivekananda Reddy was stabbed to death, confirms forensic report". India Today.
9. (2019-03-15). "YS Jagan's uncle YS Vivekananda Reddy dies of heart attack in Kadapa". The Times of India.
10. (2023-02-14). "Andhra Pradesh: Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy was murdered to gain sympathy for YSRCP, alleges TDP". The Hindu.
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15. (2020-01-29). "Daughter raises doubts in Vivekananda Reddy's murder case".
16. (11 March 2020). "CBI to probe Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan's uncle Vivekananda Reddy's murder case". Hindustan Times.
17. Raghavan, Sandeep. (8 June 2021). "Andhra Pradesh: CBI resumes probe into Y S Vivekananda Reddy murder case". The Times of India.
18. (2023-02-23). "Avinash Reddy created heart attack story in Vivekananda Reddy murder case, says CBI counter-affidavit in HC". The Hindu.
19. "Andhra MP Avinash Reddy circulated heart attack theory after Vivekananda murder: CBI".
20. (2023-03-28). "Supreme Court directs CBI to assign another officer to expedite Y S Vivekananda Reddy murder case probe". The Times of India.
21. Pavan. (2023-03-27). "Supreme Court asks CBI to change investigation officer in YS Viveka murder case".
22. Pavan. (2023-03-29). "YS Viveka murder: Supreme Court express displeasure on retaining Ram Singh as CBI investigation officer".
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24. (2023-03-29). "New SIT To Probe YS Viveka Case".
25. (2023-07-01). "CBI court extends remand of six accused in Vivekananda Reddy murder case".
26. (2024-02-06). "Vivekananda Reddy murder: Supreme Court asks CBI to produce case diary". [[India Today]].
27. M, Sambasiva Rao. (2024-03-30). "Controversial biopic of Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy 'Vivekam' released on YouTube". The Hindu.