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In a setback, Jagan ordered to personally appear in court in the money laundering case hearings
Jagan’s companies are accused of having laundered money and benefitting from the contracts handed out by the government during his father YSR Reddy’s tenure as the State chief minister
In yet another setback to YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, a special court in Hyderabad on Friday dismissed his petition seeking exemption from personal appearances in the money laundering cases filed against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The special court dealing with Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and ED cases in the Nampally criminal court complex ruled that Jagan should compulsorily appear before it for the next hearing on January 31, “failing which appropriate orders will be passed.”
Jagan appealed for exemption from attending the court personally in connection with the ED cases citing his official obligations as the chief minister. He requested that his co-accused from Jagathi Publications be allowed to appear on his behalf in the ED cases.
The ED had recently attached assets worth Rs 863 crore belonging to Jagan and his associates in connection with its probe into alleged money laundering in an infrastructure project in Andhra Pradesh. Jagan’s companies are accused of having laundered money and benefitting from the contracts handed out by the government during his father YSR Reddy’s tenure as the State chief minister. Jagan has spent 16 months in jail between May 2012 to September 2013 in the nine-year-long case. He is currently out on bail.
The ED argued that Jagan, who was the prime accused in all the five charge sheets filed in the money laundering cases, cannot be exempted from personal appearance as he could influence the witnesses using his authority. The court agreed with the ED and dismissed Jagan’s plea.
The court, however, exempted Jagan from appearing in the court for this week but said he should compulsorily attend the hearings from the next week.
On January 3, the court had given a similar order, dismissing his petition seeking exemption from personal appearances in the CBI cases. As a result, Jagan was forced to attend the court in Hyderabad on January 10.
However, Jagan obtained exemptions from attending the court on January 17 and 24, citing important official assignments. On Friday, the court expressed its displeasure against him for seeking exemptions regularly.
