Setback for CBI as court gives bail to Jagan Reddy's CA

Hyderabad: Last Friday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) received a tight rap on the knuckles from a Special Judge when it gave bail to V Vijay Sai Reddy, a chartered accountant and financial brain behind YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s  accumulation of wealth. Jagan Mohan, son of late Andhra Chief Minister YS Rajashekhara Reddy, is accused No 1 in the CBI’s charge-sheet. He has been accused of many crimes, but it was accused No 2, Sai Reddy, who was arrested on 2 January this year. The judge saw something fishy in trying to deny bail to the second accused when 12 other accused, including Jagan Mohan, were left free. According to the CBI, Sai Reddy was more dangerous than Jagan Mohan Reddy and the other accused since he was the one who allegedly manipulated and helped accumulate wealth for the latter. He could be influencing witnesses if let out on bail, the CBI contended while filing its charge-sheet on 31 March against Sai Reddy, Jagan Mohan, and 11 others. However, the judge found the CBI’s logic unacceptable. “Here is a situation where the person who is said to have used his mind in helping YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (accused No 1) in amassing wealth…is in judicial custody, whereas all other persons, including the beneficiaries, that is Jagan Mohan Reddy and the persons who are said to have taken part in the said conspiracy in getting illegal benefits from the government and thereby making illegal payments to accused No 1 (Jagan Mohan Reddy) are all free,’’ observed Special Judge Nagamarutha Sharma in his judgment. [caption id=“attachment_277142” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Jagan Mohan, son of late Andhra Chief Minister YS Rajashekhara Reddy, is accused No 1 in the CBI’s charge-sheet.”]  [/caption] Ridiculing the CBI’s curious attitude towards Jagan Mohan, the judgment says that the agency never felt it necessary to arrest the other accused, including Jagan Mohan, on the presumption that  they would not put hurdles in the path of its investigation. The CBI’s contention that Sai Reddy would “cause all the hardships, if released on bail, is not acceptable.” Pointing out that “other persons like YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (accused No 1)…are all free" when “they could also make their attempts to cause all sorts of hurdles to the CBI’s investigation….” the judge concluded: “It cannot be said that they all are not so powerful as accused No  2 (Sai Reddy) herein is shown to be.’’ The FIR in this case has listed 74 accused. And the first chargesheet of the CBI mentions the roles of only 13 of these 74 accused, including Jagan Mohan Reddy and Sai Reddy. All the accused, says the judgment, are “equally capable to go to any extent of causing hurdles if at all they want to do so in the investigation.’’ The judge observed that “the CBI did not contemplate to go for making any further arrest after apprehending accused No 2 (Sai Reddy) in this case. So the CBI’s contention that in case Sai Reddy is enlarged on bail (it) would cause all hurdles to the CBI’s investigation in future appears to be not acceptable.’’ The judge also criticised the CBI for bringing in a chargesheet just before the 90-day period of Sai Reddy’s arrest expired so that he could be denied bail. Sai Reddy was then released on bail.