Naidu raises concern over suspicious death of Ranganna, a key witness in Viveka’s murder

Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu speaking at a State Cabinet meeting at the Secretariat at Velagapudi near Vijayawada on March 7, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A day after the death of 70-year-old watchman Ranganna, a key witness in the former MP Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy’s murder case, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu discussed the issue with his Cabinet colleagues soon after the State Cabinet meeting on Friday.

According to sources in the CMO, Mr. Naidu discussed with the Ministers on the developments in the Viveka murder case from the time of the incident till now. He raised concerns about the suspicious deaths of witnesses one after the other.

“Criminals have entered the politics in the State. They are engaged in sophisticated criminalisation, turning politics into a criminal enterprise,” he said referring to YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. “Politics is a shield for Mr. Jagan.”

There was an urgent need to control organised crimes. It was necessary to control the people involved in organised crime with an iron hand.  The government and leaders had to be cautious of such criminals in politics, the Chief Minister said, according to sources.

Mr. Naidu advised the Ministers not to take the suspicious death of the watchman issue lightly. The Ministers had to remain vigilant and actively counter Mr. Jagan’s “false narratives.” His narrative shifted from calling it a heart attack to an axe attack and then making accusations against him. Mr. Jagan has made a vain bid to portray his cousin, the victim’s family member, as the accused. The YSRCP president, while in opposition, demanded a CBI investigation, but after coming to power, opposed it. The CBI investigation turned out to be a flip-flop,” he said. 

Mr. Naidu said that the former Chief Minister was running a malicious campaign about Viveka’s murder with his own media. The Ministers had to counter Mr. Jagan’s anarchy, which was being supported by his media channels and newspapers, misleading society to deceive the public, he said, according to sources. 

Meanwhile, Kadpa SP Ashok Kumar, in a statement, said that there were suspicions regarding the death of Ranganna, a key and direct witness in the Vivekananda Reddy murder case. All key witnesses in the Viveka case had died under suspicious circumstances. Witnesses including Katikireddy Srinivas Reddy, Kalluri Gangadhar Reddy, driver Narayana, Dr. Y.S. Abhishek Reddy, and now Ranganna have passed away.

The police have registered a case following the complaint filed by Ranganna’s wife.