A man walks past the office of the Directorate of Enforcement. File
| Photo Credit: ANUSHREE FADNAVIS
Teams from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the premises of several people associated with the Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy murder case in Pulivendula on Friday (August 21, 2026). Similar raids were conducted in Hyderabad.
Simultaneous raids were carried out from Friday morning at the premises of Devireddy Sivasankar Reddy, Yerra Gangi Reddy and Sunil Yadav, all of them named as accused in the murder case of former Member of Parliament Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy.
The premises of Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy, father of Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy, were initially found locked, but the officials summoned the relatives and got the house opened, before beginning the search.
The searches are being carried out under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The case stems from the FIRs and chargesheets filed by the CBI in the murder investigation, and officials said six premises in all were covered.
As per sources, the raids are said to be part of the ED’s probe to ascertain alleged financial dealings and movement of funds in connection with the murder of the MP. The CBI’s chargesheets allege a contract killing of ₹40 crore, a claim that entered the record when the accused Shaik Dastagiri turned approver, and it is that money trail the agency is now pursuing. The PMLA allows the ED to attach assets if it establishes one.
Avinash Reddy was questioned by the CBI in 2023 in connection with the murder, and secured anticipatory bail from the Telangana High Court. His father was arrested by the CBI on April 16, 2023, alleging his involvement in the conspiracy. Both deny wrongdoing.
The case
Vivekananda Reddy, brother of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and uncle of former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, was found dead at his residence at Pulivendula in Kadapa district in March 2019. The death was first put out as a heart attack, weeks before the 2019 general election, and the cover-up’s collapse turned the case into a major legal and political rallying point for both the YSRCP and the TDP. The case moved to the CBI in 2020 after his daughter, Suneetha Narreddy, fought for an independent probe, and the Supreme Court later shifted the trial to Telangana.
(WIth inputs from Agencies)
Published – August 21, 2026 01:19 pm IST
