A special court on Friday dismissed a CBI petition seeking cancellation of bail granted to YSR Congress party president YS Jaganmohan Reddy on the grounds that he was trying to influence a key witness in the alleged disproportionate assets case.
The court, not only dismissed the agency’s petition, but also allowed Jagan’s plea seeking permission to go on a holiday with his family for 15 days between May 15 and June 15.
In its petition on March 28, the CBI referred to a recent interview given by former Andhra Pradesh chief secretary P Ramakanth Reddy to Sakshi Telugu television channel, promoted by Jagan’s family. The official is said to have made some critical comments against the functioning of the CBI in Jagan’s case.
Ramakanth Reddy was the chief secretary during the chief ministership of Jagan’s father Y S Rajasekhar Reddy and the CBI had questioned him as one of the witnesses in the disproportionate wealth case, as it suspected that he was aware of the flow of investments into Jagan’s companies from other business houses who got benefited from YSR government as part of quid pro quo deal.
However, Jagan, in his counter affidavit, refuted the charge, stating that he had nothing to with Ramakanth Reddy’s interview to Sakshi television channel, which is run by Indira Television Limited, and not Jagati Publications, which has been made party to the disproportionate assets case.
{{/usCountry}}However, Jagan, in his counter affidavit, refuted the charge, stating that he had nothing to with Ramakanth Reddy’s interview to Sakshi television channel, which is run by Indira Television Limited, and not Jagati Publications, which has been made party to the disproportionate assets case.
{{/usCountry}}“As such, I was in no way connected with the interview. Sakshi had conducted the interview as part of its professional duty. All that Ramakanth Reddy had stated was in response to various questions asked by the correspondent,” he argued.
The court agreed with Jagan’s contention and dismissed the CBI petition.
The CBI had arrested Jagan in the disproportionate assets case on May 27, 2012 and filed 11 charge sheets against Jagan and others. It charged that various companies and individuals had made huge investments in Jagan’s business empire when his father Y S Rajasekhar Redddy was the chief minister.
These investments were as part of the quid pro quo deal with the government for granting favours to the companies in the form of land allotments, granting of licences, etc. Thus, Jagan had amassed huge wealth misusing the office of his late father, the investigation agency alleged.
YSR Congress party president was released on bail from Chanchalguda jail on September 25, 2013, nearly 16 months after his arrest.