The Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday filed a chargesheet against YSR Congress president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and 12 others in a case relating to quid pro quo investments in his firms.
The CBI chargesheet says that late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy had committed an offence under Section 11 of the Prevention of Corruption Act by doling out land and SEZ plots to companies like Aurobindo, Hetero and Trident which had invested in Jagati Publications and Janani Infrastructure, owned by his son Jagan Mohan Reddy. However, the CBI asked the court not to take cognisance of this section as a trial cannot be conducted since YSR is no more.
There was no word from the agency on whether Mr Reddy would be arrested or not. The CBI filed the chargesheet on Saturday in order to prevent Mr Reddy’s auditor Vijay Sai Reddy getting mandatory bail as the 90-day period would have expired by April 1.
What is interesting is that the CBI did not make any mention of the GOs issued by the YSR government in the chargesheet. Ministers and several IAS officials are likely to face the heat over the GOs.
Reacting to the filing of the chargesheet, Mr Reddy’s counsel Ashok Reddy said, “One of the offences Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy has been charged with is criminal breach of trust (409 of the IPC) which is punishable with life or 10 years’ imprisonment. Legal experts say the applicability of 409 IPC to Jagan Mohan Reddy’s case is debatable as he did not hold any official position when the offence took place.”
“As the chargesheet has been filed there can be no arrest of Jagan Mohan Reddy. However, it is the option of the CBI. I can’t comment on it,” he said.