On Tuesday, The Supreme Court transferred the trial of the murder of former AP Minister YS Vivekananda Reddy from Andhra Pradesh to Special CBI Court Hyderabad, noting that apprehensions raised by his wife and daughter regarding the derailment of a fair trial are reasonable. The division bench of Justice MR Shah and Justice MM Sundresh ordered the transfer on a petition filed by the daughter of Vivekananda Reddy, Suneetha Narreddy, who happens to be the cousin of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy. The widow of Vivekananda Reddy, who was brutally stabbed to death at his residence in Pulivendula, Kadapa district in March 2019, was a co-petitioner.

"Considering the facts and circumstances, it cannot be said that the apprehension on the part of the petitioners, being daughter and wife of the deceased, that there may not be fair trial and there may not be independent and fair investigation with respect to further investigation on larger conspiracy and destruction of evidence at the scene of the crime, is imaginary and/or has no substance at all. The petitioners being the daughter and wife of the deceased have a fundamental right to get just as a victim and they have a legitimate expectation that the criminal trial is conducted in a fair manner… Under the circumstances, we are of the opinion that this is a case to transfer the trial and other investigation on larger conspiracy and destruction of evidence, by a State other than the State of Andhra Pradesh. As the settled position of law, Justice is not only to be done, but also seen to have been done…Free and fair trial is sine qua non of Article 21…If the trial is not free and fair then the judicial system would be at stake affecting the confidence of the public in the system. At the same time looking into the large number of witnesses to be examined during the trial and no hardship is caused to those witnesses, we are of the opinion that the trial be transferred to CBI Special Court Hyderabad.”

Case Title : Suneetha Narreddy And Anr Vs. The Central Bureau Of Investigation

Citation: W.P.(Crl.) No. 169/2022