CBI questions Jaganmohan Reddy for 8 hrs

                                                                                  
HYDERABAD: YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy was questioned by CBI sleuths for nearly eight hours on Friday, with agency sources saying his quizzing will continue on Saturday. A tired looking Jagan emerged from the CBI office around 6:45pm and told waiting reporters, "I was asked for clarifications. I gave them clarifications. I've been asked to come tomorrow."

Jagan also turned the moment into a show of strength, ensuring three senior political leaders called on him just as he was to enter Dilkusha guest house, the makeshift CBI office. Former TDP Rajya Sabha MP M V Mysura Reddy, Congress MP from Anakapalli Sabbam Hari and ruling party MLA from Eluru Alla Nani got considerable media attention for their timing to switch loyalties.

Although not much is known about what transpired inside the CBI office, it's believed that Jagan revealed little, frustrating the interrogators. Sources said CBI joint director V V Lakshminarayana questioned Jagan, while other teams quizzed former excise minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana, industrialist and promoter of Vanpic, Nimmagadda Prasad and bureaucrat K V Brahmananda Reddy. Vanpic deal involves allegedly illegal transfer of 23,000 acres of land to build a private port.

Contrary to earlier indications, the four were not questioned jointly. However, such a confrontation may happen on Saturday, said the sources. The questioning was limited to, apart from the Vanpic deal, to land allotments and issuance of government orders by the YSR regime and investments into Jagan's companies by the promoter. Jagan said he knew nothing about the deal and if the promoter had invested in his venture, it was because the latter found business sense to do so.

CBI sources did not confirm whether Jagan would be arrested after questioning on Saturday. "At this stage, all we can say is he would be questioned extensively on Saturday," an official said, adding, there was a chance that the matter would be left to CBI principal special judge A Pullaiah. The YSR Congress chief will appear before the judge on May 28 in response to court summons in the assets case.
from times of india