Gajjala, accused in Vivekananda murder case, granted bail

Justice K. Lakshman Kumar, allowing a criminal petition filed by Uday Kumar, ordered the latter’s release on execution of a personal bond of ₹2 lakh with two sureties each of equal sum. The petitioner, who was a close associate Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy of the YSR Congress Party, is the sixth accused in the case. The victim Vivekananda Reddy was brother of former Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, the late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

The Judge directed Uday Kumar to report to the Station House Officer of Pulivendula police station in Kadapa district between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. every Sunday. Other bail conditions included non-interference of the accused with the trial of the murder case at CBI special court in Hyderabad and surrender of passport before the trial court.

The CBI officials can seek cancellation of the bail if the petitioner violated the bail conditions, the Judge said. The petitioner was not arrayed as accused in the first charge sheet filed in 2021. His name was not mentioned as accused in the first supplementary charge sheet also. Uday Kumar was made accused in the second supplementary charge sheet.

While the CBI claimed that the petitioner was delaying the trial by raising issues relating to Section 207 of Criminal Procedure Code, the latter accused the investigators of delaying the trial. This aspect would be considered by the trial court and on that ground bail cannot be denied to him, the Judge said in the order.