Viveka’s daughter asks UCIL to expedite departmental action against murder accused

Tirupati: Dr Suneetha Narreddy, daughter of former minister YS Vivekananda Reddy, has urged the Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL) to expedite disciplinary action against its employee, Gajjela Uday Kumar Reddy, who was named Accused No. 6 by the CBI in the Viveka murder case. Uday, who was working as a general foreman (mechanical) at the plant located at Thummalapalli in Pulivendula constituency, was arrested on April 14, 2023, in connection with the murder and was granted conditional bail on Aug 21, 2024.In a complaint addressed to UCIL's deputy general manager and plant in-charge, Suman Sarkar, Dr Narreddy questioned how an employee could receive protection despite his suspension and prolonged absence from work for over 490 days. "After receiving the bail intimation on Aug 26, 2024, UCIL initiated the suspension of Uday Kumar Reddy after an ‘inexplicable delay' of 11 months. As of Jan 19, 2026, he completed six months under suspension," she said after formally submitting the complaint to the plant in-charge on Thursday.Since suspension cannot continue indefinitely, she demanded that the departmental inquiry be concluded within a reasonable period. Referring to Uday's plea for reinstatement, she said reinstating an accused in a murder case would set a wrong precedent.