After evading personal appearance for a long time, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday finally appeared before the CBI special court in a disproportionate case. The case was registered against him in 2011.
The special court had pulled up Reddy earlier for not appearing in the court and seeking exemptions every week and noted that he had already availed 10 exemptions. The court had also directed YSR Congress MP V Vijaya Sai Reddy, who is the accused number two in the case, to also appear personally. Along with Reddy, others accused Dharmana Prasad Rao, V Vijaya Sai Reddy, Sri Laxmi, Shyamaprasad Reddy, Samuel and other accused also appeared before the court.
The court had last year dismissed Reddy’s plea seeking exemption from personal appearance in the case. Reddy had sought exemptions on the ground that as a chief minister of the state he needs to attend to numerous important programmes but the court had dismissed it on the CBI’s assertion that Reddy may influence the witnesses.
CBI had said in the plea: “In all the 11 chargesheets, the petitioner stands accused in his individual capacity and as a representative of his privately-owned companies, and therefore, should attend the court as such.”
Reddy was charged with getting funds for his businesses from firms and individuals in return for the favours granted by the government helmed by his late father YS Rajasekhara Reddy between 2004 and 2009. Thus, the CBI found ground to file 11 chargesheets against Jagan and others.
Jagan who took over as Andhra CM in May last year has denied all the charges slapped by the CBI deeming it as a political vendetta. Jagan was arrested and sent to jail in the case on May 27, 2012. He was granted bail later after spending 16 months in jail. Last year, he led his fledging party to power in Andhra Pradesh, trouncing the Telugu Desam party of N Chandrababu Naidu.
-India Legal Bureau