CBI court defers order on plea to cancel Jagan's bail
Hyderabad, Aug 25 : The CBI court here on Wednesday deferred its order on a petition seeking cancellation of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy's bail in an alleged corruption case to September 15.
Rebel MP of Andhra Pradesh's ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) Raghu Rama Krishna Raju has filed the petition for cancellation of Jagan's bail.
The court will also pronounce its orders on the same day on another petition filed by Raju seeking cancellation of bail of Jagan's close aide and YSRCP parliamentary party leader Vijay Sai Reddy.
While the arguments on the petition for cancellation of Jagan's bail were already completed, the court on Wednesday completed the hearing on the other petition.
Earlier, the CBI court on July 31 had reserved its judgment to August 25. Narsapur MP has sought cancellation of bail granted to Jagan in a disproportionate assets case registered by the CBI against him.
Raju filed the petition in April this year seeking cancellation of Jagan's bail on the ground of alleged violation of bail conditions.
Raju, a member of Lok Sabha from Narsapur, voiced the apprehension that Jagan Mohan Reddy may try to influence the witnesses in the case. He also cited Jagan's non-appearance before the trial court and seeking exemptions as violations of bail conditions.
Raju in his petition also mentioned the appointment of accused IAS officer Y. Srilakshmi as a special chief secretary and retired IAS officer and co accused M. Samuel as an advisor to the government.
The MP stated in his petition that since all the witnesses cited by the prosecution in the quid pro quo case have now become subjects of Jagan, he will influence them not to depose against him before the trial court.
Jagan, who became chief minister in May 2019, has been seeking exemptions from weekly court appearances citing his constitutional duties as the chief minister.
The allegations against Jagan relate to the period 2004-2009, when his father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was the chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh.
The CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) probed the allegations that Jagan Mohan Reddy, in criminal conspiracy with others, received bribes from various persons/companies in the guise of investments in his group companies as 'quid pro quo' for undue favours granted to them by the then Andhra Pradesh government.
Jagan Mohan Reddy was arrested in May 2012 in the DA case when he was an MP. In 2013, the special CBI court had granted conditional bail to Jagan, after he spent 16 months in jail.