Jagan to face CBI probe as SC dismisses his petition

Son of late Andhra Pradesh CM YS Rajasekar Reddy, Jagan Mohan Reddy suffered a setback after the Supreme Court on Friday allowed the CBI to register a preliminary inquiry against him in a disproportionate assets case.

Son of late Andhra Pradesh CM YS Rajasekar Reddy, Jagan Mohan Reddy suffered a setback after the Supreme Court on Friday allowed the CBI to register a preliminary inquiry against him in a disproportionate assets case.

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The CBI would ascertain whether Reddy owns movable or immovable properties that are disproportionate to his income.

A bench of justice Dalveer Bhandari and justice Deepak Verma dismissed Reddy's appeal challenging the Andhra Pradesh high court order that gave a green signal to the CBI inquiry.

The court said it was not inclined to "interfere" with the HC order.

"At this stage on interference is required into the high court order as it is only a preliminary inquiry and the high court can reused to proceed against him if nothing substantial is found in the probe," the bench observed.

But it directed the HC to allow Reddy have access to a copy of the CBI report. The bench said a copy of the report would be given to the former Congress leader if the court decides to proceed against him on the basis of CBI probe.

Reddy's counsel, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi's arguments contending there was nothing against the politician and that his client was a victim of political rivalry did not impress the court.

Reddy had approached SC after Andhra Pradesh HC on a July 12 order asking the CBI to carry out a preliminary probe to ascertain if he owned assets far exceeding his legal income.

The HC had asked CBI to submit its report within two weeks.

Before the SC, Reddy claimed the order was "illegal, erroneous and unsustainable". According to him, the HC did not have the jurisdiction to order a CBI probe on a "politically motivated" petition.