Police probe death of key witness in Viveka murder case
Pulivendula police have registered a suspicious death case after the wife of 70-year-old watchman Ranganna, a key witness in former minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy’s murder case, raised concerns over his passing.
By : P.V. Prasad
Update: 2025-03-06 15:27 GMT
Kurnool: Pulivendula police have registered a suspicious death case after the wife of 70-year-old watchman Ranganna, a key witness in former minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy’s murder case, raised concerns over his passing.
Ranganna was found unresponsive on Wednesday afternoon and taken to Pulivendula Government Hospital before being shifted to Kadapa RIMS, where doctors declared him dead at 6:45 pm. Though initial reports suggested he died of illness, his wife’s complaint led Pulivendula urban police to register a case under CrPC 174 and conduct a post-mortem at RIMS on Thursday.
Ranganna had testified as a crucial CBI witness on August 31, 2020, stating he heard screams and noticed suspicious activity on the night of Vivekananda Reddy’s murder. He was subsequently provided security due to threats. Despite suffering from respiratory issues for a month and recently injuring his leg in a fall, his wife, Suseela, an Anganwadi worker, expressed concerns over the circumstances of his death, questioning what transpired when he was alone.
District SP E.G. Ashok Kumar assigned Inspector Ullasaiah of R.K. Valley and Pulivendula Sub-Inspector Narayana to investigate. CI Ullasaiah noted that Ranganna had been dealing with health issues for the past five years while receiving treatment at Pulivendula Government Hospital and RIMS.
Pulivendula DSP Murali Naik confirmed that an investigation is underway and that authorities will soon review the post-mortem report, complaint, and all evidence to determine the cause of death.
Ranganna had testified as a crucial CBI witness on August 31, 2020, stating he heard screams and noticed suspicious activity on the night of Vivekananda Reddy’s murder. He was subsequently provided security due to threats. Despite suffering from respiratory issues for a month and recently injuring his leg in a fall, his wife, Suseela, an Anganwadi worker, expressed concerns over the circumstances of his death, questioning what transpired when he was alone.
District SP E.G. Ashok Kumar assigned Inspector Ullasaiah of R.K. Valley and Pulivendula Sub-Inspector Narayana to investigate. CI Ullasaiah noted that Ranganna had been dealing with health issues for the past five years while receiving treatment at Pulivendula Government Hospital and RIMS.
Pulivendula DSP Murali Naik confirmed that an investigation is underway and that authorities will soon review the post-mortem report, complaint, and all evidence to determine the cause of death.