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Disproportionate assets case: Andhra CM appears in front of CBI court
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had earlier avoided attending the court personally every Friday by filing a petition under Section 317 of the CPC seeking exemption from personal appearances
Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy appeared personally before a CBI special court in connection with the disproportionate assets case and quid pro quo cases in Hyderabad on Friday.
Andhra CM’s close aides, YSRC parliamentary party leader V Vijay Sai Reddy and YSRC lawmaker Dharmana Prasada Rao along with some IAS officers attended the court session in connection with the same case which is being investigated by the CBI.
The CBI court would be questioning Jagan and others with regard to the charge sheets filed against them by the CBI in 2011 and 2012.
This is the first time that the YSR Congress party president made a personal appearance in the court after assuming charge as the chief minister on May 30.
Jagan had earlier avoided attending the court personally every Friday by filing a petition under Section 317 of the Criminal Procedure Code seeking exemption from personal appearances, stating that he was not able to attend the court due to compelling reasons.
He filed the petition when he took over as the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and said that he needs to be exempted from appearing in the court as he had the constitutional responsibility to rule the state as the chief minister and also because his personal appearance in the court would cause huge burden on the state exchequer.
The CBI court had rejected the petition filed by Jagan on November 1 last year after facing strong opposition from the CBI. The investigation agency said that nothing has changed in the case except for the YSRCP Congress party president is now the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh.
The CBI Court on January 3rd refused to further entertain any more petitions while pointing out that the Andhra CM has been given 10 exemptions in a row.
“There will be no more exemptions. The accused will have to attend the court on Fridays,” the CBI court judge conveyed to Jagan’s counsel.
After the questioning, the CBI court has scheduled January 17 as the next date for hearing. The court also rejected the fresh petition filed by the Andhra CM and directed him to attend the court on next Friday.
The CBI argued that Jagan might influence the witnesses if given exemption.
The Andhra CM, who has been facing the CBI case since 2011, had been in jail for 16 months between May 2012 to September 2013, before coming out on bail. He had been attending the court regularly except during compelling circumstances.
The CBI had filed a total of 11 chargesheet against Jagan and the other accused in the disproportionate assets and quid pro quo cases. “In all the 11 charge sheets, the petitioner (Jagan) stands as an accused in his individual capacity and as representative of his privately owned companies and therefore should attend the court as such,” it argued.
Hyderabad police made heavy security arrangements at the Nampally criminal court complex for the smooth passage of Jagan in the court and the media persons were restricted to the main entrance gate of the court.
