Amid a lot of pushing and jostling and frenzied slogans of “Jai Jagan”, a smiling YS Jaganmohan Reddy drove out of Chanchalguda Central Jail in Hyderabad on sunny Tuesday afternoon, following the orders of the CBI releasing the accused No. 1 of disproportionate assets case on bail.
Almost 24 hours after the CBI court had granted him bail, formal court orders reached the jail authorities and he was allowed to go home after the completion of the legal formalities. As Jagan, surrounded by policemen, came out standing in the doors of a bulletproof Scorpio, the waiting crowds surged forwards for a better look of their leader and dozens of TV cameramen had to fight hard to get a better shot of the moment.
Earlier in the day, two cousins of Jagan Avinas Reddy and Yeshwant Reddy furnished two personal sureties of Rs 2 lakh each in the CBI court. After the legal formalities were completed the court issued an order to Chanchalguda jail authorities to release him on bail. The orders were taken personally by a court employee accompanied by Jagan’s lawyer Ashok Reddy.
The first breath of freedom after 16 months imprisonment came at around 3.50 pm when the gates of the jail were opened to make way for the vehicle with the police escort. With huge crowds of party workers, supporters and curious onlookers gathering outside the jail from the morning and playing hide and seek with the police, the authorities had to rush reinforcements from other parts of the city.
Barbed wire fencing and barricades were also put up around the jail area and roads were closed to keep the situation under control. In addition to the local police, authorities also deployed a company of Border Security Force and AP Special Police. As part of the security, police vehicles escorted the Kadapa Member of Parliament till his residence and roads were cleared of the traffic on important junctions of Moazzam Jahi Market, lakdi Ka Pul, Khairatabad and Banjara Hills.
Jagan, who was arrested by the CBI in connection with the disproportionate assets case on May 27, 20012, was taken straight to his residence “lotus Pond” in the posh Jubilee Hills area, where his mother Vijayalakshmi and other family along with huge crowd of supporters waited for him.
There was an air of celebrations at his residence where group of people, especially those coming from his native district Kadapa, were camping since Tuesday morning. Slogans of “YSR Zindabad” and “Jai Jagan” rent the air as the supporters danced and distributed sweets. “This was the day, we were waiting for long. It’s a day of festival for all of us. I thank all those supporters and well wishers who stood by us in this difficult time,” said Vijayalakshmi who greeted Jagan by planting a kiss on his forehead.
YSRCP workers erupted in joy and celebrations in many districts, especially in Rayalaseema region, where the party leaders were hoping that Jagan will be able to take the command of party’s agitation against proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. However, Jagan will not be able to move out of the city immediately as court has imposed condition that he should remain in Hyderabad.
While the main Opposition, the Telugu Desam and the BJP alleged that a nexus of the Congress and the YSRCP was behind the release of Jagan from jail, Jagan’s party strongly denied it and said that it was showing disrespect to the court. TDP spokesperson Revant Reddy alleged that the CBI deliberately diluted the case at the last minute and failed to oppose the bail application of Jagan at the behest of political masters.