A local court here on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by YSRCP rebel MP K. Raghurama Krishna Raju seeking cancellation of bail granted to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in a case of alleged disproportionate assets registered by CBI.
The Principal Special Judge for CBI Cases, Hyderabad, B.R. Madhusudan Rao pronounced the verdict after lunch break. The judge also dismissed another petition filed by the MP who sought cancellation of bail granted to YSRCP Rajya Sabha member V. Vijaya Sai Reddy. The order in both the petitions was announced simultaneously in the court hall.
Interestingly, another criminal petition filed by the same MP in Telangana High Court seeking transfer of the two petitions he had filed in CBI Special Court to any other court too, was dismissed. A few hours before the CBI Special Court declared the verdict, Justice K. Lakshman of the High Court dismissed the petition filed by the MP.
Mr. Raghurama Krishna Raju, who got elected as MP on YSRCP ticket in 2019, eventually rebelled against the party chief and AP CM Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy due to political differences.
On this April 6, he filed the petition in a CBI special court requesting for cancellation of bails granted to Mr. Jagan and seeking the latter’s judicial custody by the court.
Accusing Mr. Jagan of misusing the “freedom” secured through the bail granted by the special court, the MP charged that Mr. Reddy “attempted to influence the witnesses (directly or indirectly) or otherwise tried to thwart the courts of justice in any manner”.
The MP cited the names of some bureaucrats against whom the CBI registered cases in connection with the disproportionate assets case booked against Mr. Reddy and stated that they were given key positions in the government. Interestingly, CBI which was made the first respondent in the petition, did not take any specific stand on the matter and requested the court to take a decision on merit in the matter.
A couple of days before the CBI special court was to pronounce its order in the two petitions filed by the MP, the latter moved the HC by filing a criminal petition. This time, he sought a direction from the HC to transfer the two petitions filed by him to any other court.
He also wanted the HC to pass an order staying pronouncement of verdict in the two pleas by the CBI court. However, Justice K. Lakshman, who heard the contentions of the MP’s counsel and respondents, dismissed the petition.
