CBI court dismisses plea seeking cancellation of Andhra CM Jagan’s bail

A special court for Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) cases in Hyderabad on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking cancellation of bail of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in connection with the alleged quid pro quo case pending against him.

The petition was filed by Kanumuru Raghurama Krishnam Raju, a rebel Lok Sabha member of YSRCP from Narasapuram in West Godavari district in April this year. Raju requested the CBI court to cancel Jagan’s bail on the grounds that the latter had violated the bail conditions and was trying to influence witnesses in the CBI case against him.

The CBI court also dismissed a separate petition filed by Raju seeking cancellation of bail of Jagan’s close aide and YSRCP parliamentary party leader V Vijay Sai Reddy, who is also accused in the case.

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In 2012, the CBI filed a case against Jagan alleging that he had, in a criminal conspiracy with others, received bribes from various companies and individuals who had invested in his group companies as a ‘quid pro quo’ deal for securing undue favours from then combined Andhra Pradesh government headed by his father late Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy during 2004-2009.

Simultaneously, the Enforcement Directorate also filed cases of money laundering against Jagan. The CBI arrested Jagan in May 2012 and was let off on bail in September 2013. He became the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh in May 2019.

Raju contended in his petition that Jagan tried to influence several officials, who were co-accused in his case, by posting them in key positions.

The CBI court disagreed with the arguments of the rebel YSRCP MP that Jagan had violated the bail conditions in connection with the quid pro quo case.

The court observed that there was no complaint from any of the witnesses stating that Jagan tried to intimidate them or influence them after coming to power. It also felt that Raju’s apprehensions were purely hypothetical and not substantiated by any material evidence.

Reacting to the CBI court’s judgement, the rebel YSRC MP said he would challenge it in the high court. “If I don’t get justice in the high court, too, I will move the Supreme Court,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the Telangana high court dismissed Raju’s petition requesting transfer of his petition in CBI court to another criminal court, on the suspicion that the judgement could have been leaked to Sakshi, the media house owned by the chief minister.