Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Redy and the other accused in five charge-sheets filed by Enforcement Directorate (ED) against them in quid pro quo cases suffered a setback on Monday when a special court for ED cases rejected their request that the trial of ED cases be held back till the prosecution against them in the same court in Central Bureau of Investigation cases was disposed of.
Incidentally, the ED had filed charge-sheets against them in the court of Principal Judge for CBI cases on the basis of charge-sheets filed by the CBI under provisions of IPC. The counsels for Mr. Jagan and other accused had argued in the court that the CBI cases be tried first and then the ED cases be taken up. They contented that the arguments in ED cases were not even heard by the court after CBI cases against accused in 2G scam were struck down. Therefore, they feared a similar fate to their clients.
The counsels, in the alternative, requested hearing of both ED and CBI cases simultaneously as the same court had allowed it in another instance in the past. The ED, however, argued that the ED and CBI cases were standalone and prayed that trial in its cases precede that of CBI. The court upheld the argument of ED and conceded trial of its cases ahead of CBI.
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Meanwhile, the personal appearance of Jagan in the court on Monday in the sixth charge-sheet filed by ED in respect Aurobindo Pharma was put off to January 21 at his request on the ground that he had pressing official engagements. Rajya Sabha MP of YSR Congress Party V. Vijay Sai Reddy and others cited in the charge-sheet appeared in court.