SC serves notice to Jagan, CBI in Disproportionate Assets case

Vijayawada: Supreme Court served a notice on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, CBI and others on Friday while hearing a plea for cancellation of bail granted to the AP CM in a disproportionate assets (DA) case.

The notice followed after a division bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Pankaj Mithal heard the special leave petition filed by YSRC rebel MP K. Raghurama Krishna Raju in the apex court.

Petitioner’s counsels Balaji Srinivasan and Rohan Dewan challenged the validity of Telangana High Court’s orders on August 26, 2022 and October 28, 2022, rejecting the plea for cancellation of bail granted to Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Referring to the order of October 28, the counsels contended that it had been issued mechanically without appreciating that the accused had breached his bail conditions by not appearing in the criminal trials.

The petitioner, in his plea, alleged that the AP Chief Minister has ensured that the criminal trials against him remain dormant. In this regard, he pointed out that the trial has already dragged on for over 10 years, with no charges having been framed so far.

The MP went on to mention in his plea that even CBI and Enforcement Directorate appear to be silent, as they are not showing any real interest in the proceedings of criminal trials against Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The Supreme Court also ordered that the present plea be tagged with a pending petition seeking transfer of the trial in the disproportionate assets case to outside Hyderabad, preferably Delhi. The court posted the next hearing in the case to the first week of next January.

Both the AP Chief Minister and the CBI sent their responses on November 3 to the plea in Supreme Court for transfer of the trial case.