Jagan moves Telangana HC for exemption from personal appearance in CBI, ED cases

YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday moved the Telangana high court challenging the order of the special court for Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate cases in Hyderabad denying him exemption from personal appearances in connection with the cases of disproportionate assets and money laundering against him.

In his petition in the high court, Jagan said he was not in a position to personally attend the court proceedings every Friday as he had the Constitutional responsibility of discharging his official duties in the capacity of the chief minister.

Moreover, his regular visits to the court would also cause huge burden on the state exchequer, as the official machinery had to make arrangements for his security and travel every week.

Since the special court for CBI and ED cases had turned down his petitions repeatedly, he was compelled to seek the remedy from the high court. He requested that his co-accused from Jagathi Publications be allowed to appear on his behalf in the CBI and ED cases.

Last Friday, the CBI court expressed its displeasure over Jagan’s petitions seeking exemption from appearance every week. The judge commented that Jagan cannot continuously seek exemptions from court appearances.

He ruled that Jagan should compulsorily appear before it for the next hearing on January 31 and if he failed to so, he would be constrained to pass “appropriate orders.”

On January 3, the court gave a similar order, dismissing his petition seeking exemption from personal appearances in the court in connection with the CBI cases. As a result, Jagan was forced to attend the court in Hyderabad on January 10. But subsequently, he sought exemptions again on January 17 and 24, on the pretext of official engagements.