Approver: Rs 8 crore land deal behind Jagan Mohan Reddy's uncle Vivekananda's murder

HYDERABAD: Was it a Rs 8 crore land deal and political mistrust that led to the murder of AP CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s uncle and former minister YS Vivekananda Reddy? As per the statements of one of the accused, who later turned as an approver, to the CBI probing the case, it appears so.
While political mistrust triggered a rift between killers of Vivekananda, sharing of the property dispute settlement money of Rs 8 crore led to the gruesome murder, it is learnt.The CBI recorded statements of approver Shaik Dastagiri under CrPC sections, which revealed that a Rs 40 crore deal was struck between key accused Yerra Gangi Reddy and suspect Devireddy Shiva Shankar Reddy, a Kadapa politician, to eliminate Vivekananda.
Dastagiri was a car driver with Vivekananda from February 2017 to December 2018.
He along with three others — Yerra Gangi Reddy, Sunil Yadav and Gajjala Umashankar Reddy — was chargesheeted by the CBI for the murder of Vivekananda. The CBI has moved a petition stating that Dastagiri had turned into an approver in the case. Gangi Reddy was a close associate of Vivekananda and used to be with him all the time.
Twenty days prior to committing the murder (on March 15, 2019), Yadav and Umashankar even maimed the dog in the house as they did not want any hurdle in executing their plan. “We even conducted recce of the house several times,” Dastagiri said in his statement to the CBI.
Rivalry between Gangi Reddy and Shiva Shankar broke out after the defeat of Vivekananda in the MLC election in 2017 at the hands of BTech Ravi of TDP. Dastagiri in his statement said: “After he lost the poll, Vivekananda was furious with Gangi Reddy, Shiva Shankar and other leaders of Kadapa and warned them to mend their ways. While this was so, Vivekananda and Gangi Reddy visited Yelahanka near Bengaluru several times to settle a land issue.”
He further said: “Umashankar was also interested in the land issue as they used to discuss with all of us about the money to be received through this land settlement. In June 2018, during a visit of Vivekananda and Gangi Reddy, there was a heated argument over share of money. Gangi Reddy and Umashankar were humiliated by Vivekananda several times over their alleged role in his electoral defeat. There were arguments over financial matters as well.”
Dastagiri was removed from work at the fag end of 2018. However, he ran an auto and maintained contact with Umashankar and Yadav. In his statement, Dastagiri said: “Vivekananda used to tell Umashankar that the latter had cheated him and created differences within the family.”
He said the conspiracy to murder Vivekananda was hatched by Gangi Reddy along with Umashankar and Yadav. “When I expressed doubts, Gangi Reddy told me that he has the support of Umashankar and will manage everything. Gangi Reddy said Vivekananda turned greedy and wanted the entire Bengaluru land settlement amount for himself.”
“Gangi Reddy said he would be receiving Rs 40 crore from Shiva Shankar. He had already offered Rs 5 crore. Four to five days prior to the murder, Yadav handed over Rs 1 crore to me as an advance for carrying out the murder. Yadav told me that he and Umashankar would also get Rs 1 crore each,” said Dastagiri in his statement.
Dastagiri further said: “After receiving Rs 1 crore, I decided to purchase a villa in Pulivendula at a cost of Rs 75 lakh.”