CBI court asks Jagan to appear on 28 May

Hyderabad: A special CBI court issued summons to Kadapa MP and YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy directing him to appear before it on 28 May in a disproportionate asset case. The court also asked 12 others facing charges in the case to appear before it on the same day. The special CBI court had admitted the first chargesheet filed on 31 March by CBI in the disproportionate assets case and listed the case for trial. Accordingly, summons were issued to Jagan, the prime accused in the case, and the other accused persons. The summons were issued on a day when CBI, probing the case against Jagan and the others, submitted its third chargesheet in the court today. Managing Directors Srinivasa Reddy (Hetero Drugs), Nityananda Reddy (Aurobindo Pharma), Sarat Chandra Reddy (Trident Life Sciences), senior IAS officer B P Acharya, AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation’s former officer Y Vijayalakshmi, former Company Secretary of Aurobindo Pharma Chandramouli are among those issued summons by the CBI court. Besides, representatives of Jagati Publications, Hetero, Aurobindo, Trident Life Sciences, who have been named in the CBI charge-sheet, have also been asked to appear in the court on 28 May. CBI has so far arrested only Jagan’s auditor Vijayasai Reddy in the disproportionate assets case. He is currently out on bail. He was, however, not issued summons since he has been attending the court proceedings regularly. IAS officer Acharya, arrested by CBI, is already in judicial custody in the Emaar Properties scandal. [caption id=“attachment_301932” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“PTI”]  [/caption] Indian Administrative Service officer Venkatarami Reddy, Ramky Group chairman Ayodhyarami Reddy, Jagati Publications (publisher of Sakshi Telugu daily) and Ramky Pharma India Limited have been named as the other accused in the case. CBI said Ramky had invested Rs 10 crore in Jagati Publications as a quid pro quo for the benefits it secured from the then government headed by Jagan’s father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. Meanwhile, CBI filed a petition in the state High Court today challenging the special court’s order granting bail to Jagan’s auditor. The petition will come up for hearing on 9 May. Jagan is currently touring Anantapur district campaigning for his party’s candidates for the June 12 by-elections. As per his original schedule, Jagan is slated to tour all the 18 Assembly constituencies facing by-polls. Now, he will have to cut short his electioneering and appear in court as per the summons. PTI