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NIA takes over probe into airport attack on YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy
The NIA registered a case on January 1, entrusting the investigation to additional superintendent of police at Hyderabad branch, Mohd Sazid Khan.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the investigation into the attack on the leader of opposition YS Jaganmohan Reddy of the YSR Congress party from Andhra Pradesh police under the directives from the Centre.
The NIA registered a case on January 1, entrusting the investigation to additional superintendent of police at Hyderabad branch, Mohd Sazid Khan.
Dharmender Kumar, the undersecretary with the Union home ministry, said in an order issued on December 31 that the case of the attack on Jaganmohan Reddy constitutes offences punishable under National Investigation Agency Act, 2008.
“Having regard to the gravity of the offence it is required to be investigated by the National Investigation Agency in accordance with the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008,” Kumar said.
Jaganmohan Reddy, who was attacked with a rooster knife by a 30-year-old restaurant worker from East Godavari district at the VIP lounge at the Visakhapatnam airport on October 25, requested the Union home ministry to take up the case, suspecting a conspiracy.
Visakhapatnam Police commissioner Maheshchandra Ladda on Thursday ruled out any conspiracy behind the attack on the YSR Congress leader a day before the transfer of the case to the central agency.
Andhra Pradesh police registered a case (648/2018 dated 25-10-2018) under section 307 of the Indian Penal Code dealing with an attempt to murder.
They constituted a special investigation team to carry out a probe into the case even as Jaganmohan Reddy refused to cooperate with SIT, expressing doubts over the integrity of the local police.
A delegation of YSR Congress MPs met Union home minister Rajnath Singh seeking directions to the central investigation agencies to probe the attack case.
TDP spokesperson Dokka Manikya Varaprasad welcomed the decision of the Union home ministry, expressing hope that NIA would ensure a fair probe without yielding to political pressures.
P Sudhakar Reddy, the convener of the YSR Congress’ legal cell, said Andhra Pradesh police deliberately failed to invoke the section 3-A of the Civil Aviation Act, 1998, and NIA Act, 2008, in the case of the attack on Jagan Reddy only to gloss over the conspiracy angle.
The attack sparked a war of words between the ruling TDP and the YSR Congress, and Andhra Pradesh police chief RP Thakur produced an 11-page letter purportedly written by the accused at a media conference soon after the offence to conclude that the attacker was a fan of Jaganmohan Reddy and he did it all to build his leader’s image.
