In what has come as a big blow to YSRCP chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy, the CBI has filed a petition in the special court seeking to cancel his bail in the disproportionate assets case.
The CBI has sought to cancel his bail on the grounds that he could influence witnesses, citing an interview by former Chief Secretary Ramakanth Reddy to Saskhi TV, where he says he lacks confidence in the agency’s investigation in the DA case.
The special court granted Jagan time until April 7 to file a counter petition.
Jagan was arrested in May 2012 in the DA case when he was an MP.
In 2013, the special CBI court had granted conditional bail to Jagan after he spent 16 months in jail.
In February, the Hyderabad High Court directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the companies of YS Jaganmohan Reddy to approach the appellate tribunal, as part of a disproportionate assets case against the latter.
In the second week of February, the ED issued a notice to take possession of the properties of Jagan's companies, along with Lotus Pond, his house in Banjara Hills and the building which serves as the party headquarters.
In June last year, the ED stated that assets worth over Rs 749 crore, including Jagan’s palatial house in Hyderabad, had been attached in connection with its money laundering probe against him.
These assets owned by various group companies of the Andhra Pradesh opposition leader, included movable properties worth Rs 344.38 crore and immovable ones worth Rs 404.72 crore.
The chargesheet said that Jaganmohan Reddy, in criminal conspiracy with others, got allotted a mining lease to Bharathi Cement Corporation Private Limited illegally and received bribes from various persons/companies in the guise of investments in his group companies as 'quid pro quo' for undue favours granted to them by the Andhra Pradesh government when Jagan's father YS Rajasekhara Reddy was the chief minister.
The ED said its investigations revealed that Jaganmohan Reddy laundered the proceeds of crime through his group companies Sandur Power, Classic Realty, Silicon Builders, Saraswati Power and Industries and 10 other companies in the form of investments, purchase of movable and immovable properties and third party payments etc.
The ED had already attached assets worth over Rs 1,000 crore in the overall PMLA cases.
The allegations against Jagan relate to the period 2004-2009.