Jagan Mohan Reddy's interim bail plea rejected by special CBI court

                                                                                  
Hyderabad: There is still no relief for YSR Congress Chief Jagan Mohan Reddy as a special CBI court in Hyderabad has rejected his interim bail plea. Mr Reddy was arrested on Monday by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and sent to the Chanchalguda Jail in Hyderabad in connection with a case relating to disproportionate assets. He will stay in jail till June 11 - just a day before crucial by-elections in Andhra Pradesh are scheduled to take place.

Counsel for Mr Reddy has argued that he should be granted bail to enable him to campaign for his party for the by-polls. The MP from Kadapa was arrested after three days of extensive questioning by the CBI while he was busy campaigning in the Guntur district.

Mr Reddy's party and family have alleged that his arrest is part of a larger "political conspiracy" to prevent him campaigning for the elections. In fact, the YSR Congress and his supporters have earlier blamed the ruling Congress and the Telugu Desam Party for the CBI probe and his subsequent arrest, alleging the parties of aligning against him in a bid to check his growing popularity.
Questioning the timing of the CBI's questioning, that incidentally had not taken place in the last one year, Mr Reddy's counsel had, on Thursday, said that if he was granted interim bail, he would appear in the court after the campaigning ended on June 10. The YSR Congress chief was also ready for a daily appearance in the police station of the constituency he was visiting, his counsel said.

The CBI, however, opposed the bail petition on the grounds that Mr Reddy was the number one accused in the case and, if released on bail, could tamper with the evidence and influence the witnesses.

The CBI claims that Jagan Reddy misused his father, YSR Reddy's position as Chief Minister of the state in 2009, to secure big investments from various companies who were granted licences and clearances in return. Among his several firms that are under the scanner are Jagathi Publications, Indira TV and Janani Infrastructure.

Several ministers in the YSR government are also facing the heat for having facilitated 26 deals involving Mr Reddy. The group of ministers - Geetha Reddy, Sabitha Indra Reddy, Ponnala Laxmaiah, Dharmanna Prasad Rao, Kanna Laxminarayana and Mopidevi Venkatramana - was served notices on the order of the Supreme Court over the deals between the government and various companies. While Sabitha Reddy and Mr Venkatramana have already been questioned by the CBI, Geetha Reddy is likely to be questioned by the CBI today.
from NDTV

YSR's death not an accident

                                                                                

YSR Congress Party honorary president Y.S. Vijayamma on Thursday upped the ante over the death of her husband Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash in September 2009 by stating that it was ‘not an accident'.

“I suspect that the chopper crash was not an accident,” she said and asked them: “Do you also feel the same?” While some shouted out: “We too have doubts,” others expressed their disapproval of the ‘crash theory' by waving their hands.

Thousands of people, mostly women, gathered to hear Ms. Vijayamma and her daughter Sharmila in the scorching heat.

She said the chopper had not been in use for three years before the accident. Moreover, there should be three route maps in the helicopter, but not even one was found after the crash.

Even if the weather was bad, the helicopter could hover in the air for two-and-a-half hours, but the blame was put squarely on the pilot and co-pilot. She said that her son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy had complained to the Civil Aviation authorities and sought a report on the incident, but it was not given to this day.

“Don't you suspect foul play,” she asked the crowd, which promptly supported her contention.

Ms. Vijayamma said that her son's arrest before the by-poll was politically motivated to keep him away from the public. “I have never come out of my home before. I came out now to seek your support in the fight between ‘dharma' and ‘adharma.'”

The YSR Congress leaders' convoy later reached the temple town of Draksharam in Ramachandrapuram constituency of East Godavari district where large crowds greeted her.

The town was teeming with people from afternoon 3 p.m., but Ms. Vijayamma and Ms. Sharmila reached the place after 6 p.m., accompanied by party candidate Pilli Subashchandra Bose.

The crowd responded well to the speeches of Ms. Sharmila as well as Ms. Vijayamma, but when they spoke about Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy's innocence in corruption cases, it kept silent.

In contrast, the references to the late YSR and his schemes evoked enthusiastic response. The turnout of women was less when compared to Mr. Reddy's ‘Odarpu Yatra' though youth were present in large numbers.

Ms. Sharmila tried to strike a chord of sympathy when she said the family and the State had lost a dynamic leader in YSR while a young leader (Jagan) was behind bars. She accused the Congress and Telugu Desam parties of colluding in the arrest of her brother and charged the CBI with acting at the behest of the Congress high command.

from Hindu

Nani quits seat, three MLAs meet Vijayamma

                                                                                

The ruling Congress continued to be at the receiving end with an MLA resigning his seat and three others meeting YSR Congress Party honorary president Y. S. Vijayamma in Visakhapatnam on Thursday during her road-shows.

A fourth legislator, Alla Nani alias A. K. Srinivas, told reporters after meeting Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy in Chanchalguda jail that he would join the YSR Congress Party and participate in Mrs. Vijayamma's election campaign.

The other three MLAs – R.V.S.K. Ranga Rao (Bobbili), Dwarampudi Chandrasekhara Reddy (Kakinada City) and S. Jayamani (Parvathipuram) met Ms. Vijayamma during her road show at Kotauratla mandal in Payakaraopeta mandal in Visakhapatnam district and expressed their solidarity with the YSR family and the party.

While Mr. Ranga Rao had already resigned his party membership and Assembly seat, Ms. Jayamani's meeting assumed significance as she is a newcomer into the YSRCP. Mr. Chandrasekhara Reddy sailed with the Jagan camp and then returned to the Congress but crossed over to the YSRCP again.

They vowed to stand by the YSR family, which they claimed was being ‘targeted by the Congress government' due to political vendetta. The MLAs stated that if they did not support Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's family at this stage, they would be termed back-stabbers. “It was because of YSR that we became MLAs,” the legislators said. Ms. Jayamani said she would take a decision on quitting the party after meeting her supporters. Mr. Ranga Rao said: “If the harassment of Jagan continued, many more Congress MLAs and leaders would join the YSRCP soon.”

Separately at Nuzvid in Krishna district, TDP MLA Ch. Ramakotaiah said that he would not contest the 2014 polls on the party ticket as he was unable to adjust to the opportunistic politics. Reacting to reports that he may join the YSRCP, Mr. Ramakotaiah said: “I am yet to decide my future.”

 from Hindu

Jagan-related petitions to be heard today

                                                                  

Justice B. Chandra Kumar of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday said the court would hear the remaining arguments in the petitions filed by Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday.

Ranjeet Kumar, senior counsel for Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy, pointed out that the High Court had directed the CBI to comply strictly with Section 41 A of the Criminal Procedure Code. He complained that the CBI had not followed this direction in letter and spirit and averred that the remand order was illegal as the petitioner had responded to the notice of appearance as required by law. He alleged that Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy was arrested so as to keep him away from election campaign.

It may be recalled that two petitions were filed by the CBI and the remaining by Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy and his spouse Bharati Reddy. The CBI challenged the order of the Special Court refusing to grant police remand of Mr. Reddy.

In its second petition, the agency challenged various observations of the court regarding the futility of granting police custody after filing of various charge-sheets.

Ms. Bharati Reddy filed separate writ petitions seeking enhanced security to her husband, while challenging his arrest. The judge heard the arguments till about 8 p.m. and said he would hear the matter on Friday.

from Hindu

Court exploring possibilities to let Jagan campaign

                                                                               

The principal court for CBI cases on Thursday explored possibilities to let arrested Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy resume his election campaign on interim bail up to June 10, the last day, but the proposal was firmly rejected by CBI saying it was not permitted under law. The court will pronounce its verdict on Friday.

On a request by senior Supreme Court lawyer Ranjit Kumar, who appeared for Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy, that the MP be given some relief to campaign on terms of the court, the judge A. Pullaiah enquired whether Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy could be directed to return to the State capital everyday after completing his canvassing.

Mr. Ranjit Kumar replied that it was a difficult proposition because Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy would be campaigning 300 to 500 km away. Instead, he proposed that the MP may be asked to mark his attendance in the local police station wherever he camped overnight.

The judge also enquired whether the MP could be allowed video linkage with masses from jail but this was also not acceptable to the defence as the element of personal contact would be missing.

MLA case cited

CBI counsel Ashok Bhan stoutly opposed any arrangement to permit Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy to access masses saying the latter was not a contesting candidate. Moreover, Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy had made an alternative arrangement to ensure that the campaign was not disrupted, he added.

Mr. Ranjit Kumar referred to the “police station” attendance permitted by the Supreme Court to Sushanta Ghosh, CPI (M) MLA of West Medinipur in West Bengal, while granting him bail in a multiple murder case. He denied the contention of the CBI that Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy would use his status as an MP to tamper evidence if granted bail.

Cases against 412 MPs

He furnished statistics to the court which said that 412 MPs faced criminal cases in the country, including 115 for criminal charges and 73 for serious criminal charges. “All of them had a status. How will Parliament function if they were all to be put in jail?” he said.

Mr. Bhan argued that Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy was not entitled to any concession as a politician because he subverted Constitution by taking away lands of poor people and giving them for a song to corporates which invested in his companies.

He cited the example of ex-RJD MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav who was not allowed any concession by court to take oath on election as an MP after he was arrested in a murder case.

from hindu

Chief Minister blasts Jagan

                                                                              

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Thursday charged YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy with betraying the cause of his own father and former chief minister late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

Addressing a late night election meeting here, Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy said YSR was loyal to the Congress party and its president Sonia Gandhi till he breathed his last and wished that Rahul Gandhi should become the Prime Minister after the 2014 general elections.

He expressed his last wish at a party meeting in Hyderabad a couple of days before his death in the chopper crash.

But Jagan is launching a malicious campaign against Ms. Sonia, holding her responsible for his arrest. Is it not betrayal on the part of Jagan?” he asked. Had YSR been alive, he would continue to be with the Congress like a loyal soldier but his son was out to pull down the very structure which gave shelter to his family, he said.

The Chief Minister made it clear that the Congress governments at the Centre and in the State got nothing to do with the implication of Jagan in the illegal assets case or his arrest by the CBI.

Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy avoided any mention of Jagan's mother Vijayamma who was blaming the Congress government and Ms. Sonia for her son's arrest while taking part in election rallies in Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts. He, however, made a cautious bid to counter the “mother sentiment” being played by Ms. Vijayamma in support of her son.

Incidentally, Ms. Vijayamma is scheduled to hold similar rallies in Narsapur and Polavaram for two days from Friday.

In an indirect reference to the suspicions raised by Ms. Vijayamma about the death of her husband, he said, “The Congress made YSR Chief Minister twice, a record of sorts in the party. How could such a party kill its beloved leader?” He counselled YSR Congress leaders not to stoop to cheap politics to garner votes.

from Hindu