The sudden death of Ranganna, a key witness in the murder of former minister Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy in Pulivendula six years ago, has sparked serious discussions in the Andhra Pradesh state cabinet on Friday.
According to sources, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed suspicion over Ranganna’s death, as he was the watchman at Viveka’s house on the night of the murder.
The cabinet debated the issue for nearly an hour, highlighting the alarming trend of witnesses in the Viveka murder case dying one by one. The threats received by another witness, Dastagiri, were also discussed.
The Director General of Police (DGP) briefed the ministers, confirming that Ranganna’s death appeared suspicious, based on ongoing police investigations.
Naidu specifically pointed out reports from Sakshi, Jagan Mohan Reddy’s media house, which claimed that Ranganna died due to police brutality.
He suggested that this could be part of a larger YSRCP conspiracy to blame the government for his death.
The Chief Minister also warned of Jagan Mohan Reddy’s alleged political conspiracies, recalling similar incidents in the Paritala Ravi murder case, where key witnesses died under mysterious circumstances.
He emphasized the need to protect witnesses, despite the case being under CBI jurisdiction. Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan also voiced concerns over the growing number of suspicious deaths of key witnesses.
The cabinet was also informed that the driver who transported Jagan Mohan Reddy and his wife Bharati from Hyderabad to Pulivendula on the day of Viveka’s murder had also died under mysterious circumstances.
Ministers noted that six individuals linked to the case have died so far, raising further concerns about witness safety in the high-profile murder investigation.
