Petition by rebel MP brings focus back on 11 cases filed against Jagan

Amaravati: When Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was arrested by the CBI in 2012 in an alleged disproportionate assets case that had hit the national headlines, even after nearly 12 years, trial is yet to begin in any of the 11 cases registered by the central agency.

Jagan Mohan Reddy, who became the Chief Minister in 2019, has been charged with criminal conspiracy, cheating, dishonesty, inducing delivery of property, taking gratification (accepting bribe), criminal breach of trust, forgery, criminal misconduct by public servant and corruption.

According to the affidavit filed by him before the Election Commission in 2019, there are seven Enforcement Directorate (ED) cases in which he has been charged with money laundering. Petitions by the rebel MP of Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party YSRCP has brought the focus back on the cases. Currently the Supreme Court is hearing two petitions seeking transfer of the case outside the Telugu states and cancellation of Jagan’s bail.

In November 2023, the Supreme Court issued notices to the CBI, Jagan Mohan Reddy, YSRCP MP V Vijay Sai Reddy and others who were named as accused in the cases registered by the CBI and ED over the allegations of enriching through quid pro quo transactions and money laundering. The Supreme Court asked the CBI to explain why it is taking so long to begin trial and the present status of cases.

The apex court is hearing K Raghu Ramakrishna Raju’s petition seeking directions to transfer the trial of the case pending before a court in Hyderabad to any state other than Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. He argued in his petition that the trial of the cases has not begun even after 10 years of filing of charge sheet. He stated that hundreds of discharge petitions have been filed only to delay the judicial process.

A bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice S V N Bhatti had asked the CBI to explain why there was a delay in the completion of the trial in the case. The petitioner stated that conscience is shaken by the manner in which state machinery (CBI) is being manipulated to the point of apathy to suit the sitting Chief Minister of the State of Andhra Pradesh.

He had alleged that after having illegally and unjustly enriched himself and various companies floated by him to the tune of Rs 40,000 crore and necessarily having caused loss to that extent to the public exchequer, the chief minister has ensured that the criminal trial against him remains dormant and no fruitful steps are taken against him.

The CBI filed altogether 11 charge sheets, mentioning Jagan as the accused number one. Some ministers in Rajasekhara Reddy’s cabinet, several IAS officers and industrialists are named as accused in the cases. Jagan had termed the cases politically motivated as he had quit the Congress party to launch YSRCP.