ED Searches Seven Locations In AP, Telangana Over YS Vivekananda Reddy Murder Money Trail

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted searches at seven locations across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as part of its money laundering investigation linked to the murder of former minister and MP YS Vivekananda Reddy.

The searches, carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), began in the early hours and covered premises in Hyderabad and Kadapa associated with key individuals in the case. The residence of YSR Congress Party MP YS Avinash Reddy was also searched.

The ED is investigating suspected financial transactions, cash movements and fund transfers allegedly linked to people and entities associated with the murder. Officials are examining the money trail to determine whether financial transactions were connected to the alleged conspiracy.

The ED said its searches resulted in the seizure of Rs 24 lakh in unaccounted cash from Avinash Reddy's premises, along with two locker keys. Investigators also seized several documents and digital devices during the operation.

The agency said its probe is based on the FIR registered by the CBI and three charge sheets filed in the murder case. According to the ED, the charge sheets named YS Avinash Reddy, YS Bhaskar Reddy, D Shivashankar Reddy, T Gangireddy and Y Sunil Yadav, among others, as accused.

The agency has also referred to the statement of Sheikh Dastagiri, an accused who later turned approver and was granted pardon by the special CBI court. The ED said Dastagiri told investigators that the alleged conspiracy had been planned about a month before the murder.

The agency further pointed to allegations in the CBI charge sheet that Rs 40 crore was allegedly discussed as the amount to be paid in connection with the killing. The ED is examining the alleged cash transactions and movement of funds as part of its money laundering probe.

YS Vivekananda Reddy was found dead at his residence in Kadapa district in March 2019, leading to a prolonged political and legal controversy in Andhra Pradesh. The CBI later took over the investigation.

Avinash Reddy was arrested by the CBI in June 2023 in connection with the case but was subsequently released after the Telangana High Court granted him anticipatory bail.

The latest searches mark a significant step in the ED's probe into the financial dimensions of the murder case, with investigators focusing on alleged fund flows and transactions connected to the broader conspiracy.