The Central Bureau of Investigation has given a clean chit to Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy's son Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and Panchayat Raj Minister J C Diwakar Reddy in connection with murder of Telugu Desam Party legislator Paritala Ravi in January 2005.
In the additional chargesheet filed in the sessions court in Anantapur, the CBI has also stated that no incriminating evidence was found against the then Rayalaseeema Inspector-General of Police Raghuveer Prasad Meena and Congress leader Gangula Bhanumathi, wife of jailed factionist and prime accused Gangula Suryanarayana Reddy alias Suri, to indicate their involvement in the murder case. Hence, the CBI dropped their names from the case.
The names of Jaganmohan Reddy, Diwakar Reddy and Gangula Bhanumathi were mentioned in the first information report based on the complaint lodged by Paritala Ravi's father-in-law D Kondanna. The TDP had made allegations against the involvement of top police official Meena in the murder case.
The CBI has already named 17 accused in the Paritala murder case, including Julakanti Srinivas Reddy alias Moddu Srinu, who was arrested by the police recently and is lodged in Chanchalguda central jail in Hyderabad.
Paritala Ravi was killed in Anantapur on January 24. After the CBI filed the chargesheet in the murder case, naming Suri and several others as the accused, the sessions court had pulled up the investigating agency for not looking into the allegations made against four high-profile persons.
CBI authorities thereafter interrogated Jaganmohan Reddy at the chief minister's residence, Diwakar Reddy at a guest house in Hyderabad, Bhanumathi at the camp office in Anantapur and Meena at Hyderabad during the course of investigation.
In the seven-page additional chargesheet filed in the court, the CBI said there was no direct or indirect material evidence against them.