The Hyderabad High Court directed a Hyderabad CBI court on Thursday, not to frame charges in three cases against Jagati Publications that were pending before it.
The publication is owned by YSRCP chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s family and runs the Sakshi media group, which includes a TV channel and a newspaper.
According to reports, the HC bench was hearing a petition that sought a combined trial of 11 chargesheets that were filed against Jagan's companies by the CBI.
The Times of India reported that Jagati's advocates argued that while 8 chargesheets had been stayed by the High Court, the cases pertaining to the remaining three, were still ongoing.
Stating that they would be forced to disclose their defence, the advocates sought for a combined trial for all 11 chargesheets.
Meanwhile, the counsel for the CBI asked the High Court to look into the maintainability of the petitions.
Following this, the judge asked the CBI not to frame charges until March 17.
Last month, 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. Jaganmohan reddy, who was arrested in May 2012, spent 16 months in jail before he was released on bail in 2013.
IANS inputs