Amaravati, April 20 (IANS) YSR Congress Party's candidate for Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency Y. S. Avinash Reddy has two criminal cases against him including the case relating to the murder of his uncle and former minister Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy.

Avinash Reddy, who filed his nomination as YSRCP candidate for the May 13 election, revealed the details of the case in the affidavit submitted to the election authorities.

Avinash Reddy, who is a cousin of Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, stated that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case in connection with the murder that took place on March 15, 2019 in Pulivendula town of YSR Kadapa district.

The case was registered against the MP under Indian Penal Code sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 302 (punishment for murder) and 201 (Disappearance of evidence of offence or giving false information to screen offender). The case is pending in the court of Principal Special Sessions Judge for CBI Cases in Hyderabad. The charges are yet to be framed in the case.

Avinash Reddy also has another criminal case pending against him. The case was registered against him at Mydukur in YSR Kadapa district in 2018 for wrongful restraint and disobedience to orders duly promulgated by public servants.

The MP also revealed that he and his wife have movable and immovable assets of Rs18.78 crore.

Allegations against Avinash Reddy in Vivekananda Reddy murder case are at the centrestage of the campaigning in Kadapa constituency as Jagan Mohan Reddy’s sister and state Congress chief Y. S. Sharmila Reddy has entered the poll fray.

Backed by Vivekananda Reddy's daughter Y. S. Suneetha Reddy, she has appealed to people of Kadapa to defeat murder accused. They have also urged people to defeat Jagan Mohan Reddy for shielding the "killers" and for "promoting politics of murder".

Vivekananda Reddy, brother of former chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, uncle of Jagan Mohan Reddy, was murdered at his residence in Pulivendula on March 15, 2019, weeks before the elections.

In April last year, the CBI arrested Vivekananda Reddy's cousin Y. S. Bhaskar Reddy, father of Avinash Reddy.

The CBI had claimed that there was a conspiracy to kill Vivekananda Reddy as he was not in favour of YSRCP fielding Avinash Reddy as the candidate from the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat.

Vivekananda Reddy reportedly wanted Jagan Mohan Reddy to field the latter's sister Sharmila or mother Y. S. Vijayamma as the party candidate.

Avinash Reddy, who was granted anticipatory bail by the Telangana High Court on May 31, 2023, is seeking re-election from Kadapa for a third term.