The CBI has sought the custody of two former Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Sabitha Indra Reddy and Dharmana Prasad Rao, in connection with the disproportionate assets case of YS Jaganmohan Reddy.
On a day when the YSR Congress president and MP Jaganmohan Reddy, Sabitha Indra Reddy and other accused of the case appeared in the CBI special court, the agency filed a memo in the court seeking the custody of the two Ministers who recently resigned from the Cabinet after they were chargesheeted by the CBI.
In its memo, the CBI told the court that the interaction of the two former Ministers with the media was hampering the investigation. The CBI also submitted a CD containing their interviews to the media.
Meanwhile, the CBI special court postponed the hearing on the fifth charge-sheet of Jaganmohan Reddy’s case to June 21. In response to the summons issued by the CBI court, accused number one Jaganmohan Reddy, his auditor and financial adviser Vijay Sai Reddy were brought to the court from jail amid tight security. Sabitha Indra Reddy, who recently resigned as Home Minister, also appeared before the court.
The other accused who appeared before the court include Punit Dalmia, managing director of Dalmia Cements, and S Divakar Reddy of Eshwar Cements. Then mining department director VD Rajagopal and suspended IAS officer Y Srilakshmi, who are out of jail on bail, also came to the court. However, Srilakshmi who came in an ambulance because of ill health could not go to the court on the second floor and court officials went to the ambulance to mark her presence on the request of her lawyer.
Jaganmohan Reddy, who on the permission of the court met his family members, and Vijay Sai Reddy were later shifted back to the jail.
Today’s appearance was in connection with the Dalmia Cements case in which the CBI has charged that the company was issued mining licence as a quid-pro-quo for the investments the company made into the firms of Jaganmohan Reddy. Sabitha Indra Reddy was the Mining Minister in YS Rajasekhara Reddy Cabinet when the decision was taken.
A day earlier Jaganmohan Reddy suffered yet another major setback when the adjudicating authority under the Prevention of Money laundering Act approved the attachment of his assets worth Rs134 crore by the Enforcement Directorate. They include land in Ramky Pharma City worth Rs130 crore and bank deposits of Rs10 crore in the name of Jagati Publications.
Adjudicating Authority said that Ramky City had benefited to the tune of Rs914 crore when the YSR Government decided to reduce the green belt around its project. So far the Enforcement Directorate has attached properties worth Rs229.4 crore in Jagan assets case. The properties include Rs34.66 crore
fixed deposits of Jagati Publications of Jaganmohan Reddy and Rs51 crore in assets of Aurobindo Pharma, another company whose investments in Jagan’s companies are under the CBI scanner.