In a major setback for YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy on Saturday, the High Court of Andhra Pradesh permitted the Central Bureau of investigation (CBI) to take him into custody for five days from June 3 to 7 and dismissed a batch of petitions filed by him.
The premier investigating agency can now question the Kadapa MP in the presence of his lawyers for the said days between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Justice B. Chandra Kumar gave the order, while imposing some conditions.
He dismissed petitions filed by Jagan, Jagati Publications and its vice-chairman V. Vijay Sai Reddy arising out of the arrest of Jagan on May 27 and the subsequent order of his custody and also taking into cognizance various charge-sheets filed in the case arising out of a single First Information Report in the disproportionate assets case.
The judge agreed with the CBI's contention that it needed to confront Jagan over the facts emerging out of the investigation into the Vanpic project. Dismissing Jagan's bail petition, he said there was no application before him seeking permission to go for electioneering unlike in the case of evangelist K.A. Paul who made a specific application for interim bail.
The judge felt that after arrest of Nimmagadda Prasad and other accused, the CBI has shown some evidence through Case Diary (CD) to the court of about Rs. 846 crore worth investments made in the companies that needed to be verified. The CBI had the right to take the accused into custody and elicit information on transfer of funds from one company/country to another and finally reaching the companies of the accused. The judge took into consideration the contention of the CBI that some persons who came to depose against him turned back later.
The other important issue decided by Justice Chandra Kumar was that the CBI was entitled to file separate charge-sheets in this case and the CBI court could take cognizance of them.
Six petitions were filed by the accused challenging the action of the CBI in filing three charge-sheets in a case pertaining to one FIR and then issuing summons.
The argument of the CBI that there are different conspiracies and these are distinct acts connected to the whole scheme of operation found favour with the High Court.
