Hyderabad, Aug 21 (IANS The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted searches at multiple locations, including the premises linked to YSR Congress Party MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy in Hyderabad and YSR Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh, in connection with the money laundering probe arising out of the murder of his uncle and former state Minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy. The ED officials began the searches in the morning at two locations in Hyderabad and four in Kadapa district.The searches were on at the premises of the Kadapa MP Avinash Reddy, his father Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy and other accused in the murder case.A team of ED officials was conducting searches at the MP’s residence in Kokapet, Hyderabad. Another team went to his residence in Pulivendula town in Kadapa district but found the premises locked.The searches were also underway at premises linked to other accused Sunil Yadav, Devireddy Shivashankar Reddy and Yerra Gangireddy.The Central agency began a money laundering probe on the basis of the case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the chargesheets filed by it.

It was in August last year that the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR).The agency is probing the financial transactions before the murder. There are allegations that Rs 4 crore were paid to kill Vivekananda Reddy.The ED officials are trying to track the movement of funds and investigate the allegations of money laundering.Vivekananda Reddy, brother of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), and uncle of former Chief Minister and YSRCP president Jagan Mohan Reddy, was murdered at his residence in Pulivendula on March 15, 2019, weeks before the elections.The 68-year-old former state minister and former MP was alone at his house when unidentified persons barged in and killed him.The CBI took over the investigation into the case in 2020 at the direction of the Andhra Pradesh High Court while hearing a petition by Vivekananda Reddy's daughter, Sunitha Reddy, who raised suspicion about some relatives.Expediting the probe into the case, the CBI in 2023 arrested Avinash Reddy's father, Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy and their follower, Uday Kumar Reddy.

It filed the first chargesheet in the case in 2021 and supplementary chargesheets in 2022 and 2023.The CBI claimed that both Avinash and Bhaskar Reddy conspired to eliminate Vivekananda Reddy because he was against fielding Avinash Reddy from the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat and wanted Jagan Mohan Reddy to instead field his mother Vijayamma or sister Sharmila. However, the father-son duo denied the allegation.Avinash Reddy was granted anticipatory bail by the Telangana High Court on May 31, 2023.In August, 2025, the CBI informed the Supreme Court that it had completed the investigation in the case.The Supreme Court in March 2026 dismissed a petition by Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter, Sunitha, seeking further probe by the CBI and challenging the grant of anticipatory bail to Avinash Reddy as well as bail to other accused.

/IANS