Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has moved Telangana High Court challenging the orders of a special court in Hyderabad, dismissing his pleas for exemption from personal appearance in the court in cases registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
A petition was filed in the High Court on behalf of the Chief Minister on Monday, challenging the orders by the special court.
Reddy’s move came three days after the court dismissed his petition for exemption from personal appearance in ED cases. The court directed him to personally appear in the court for the next hearing on January 31.
Reddy had sought permission for his co-accused Jagati Publications, that publishes Telugu daily ‘Sakshi’ Ato represent him.
This was the second jolt to Reddy in disproportionate assets cases. The court had earlier dismissed his petition for exemption from appearance in CBI cases.
Reddy had made his first appearance in the court in the capacity of the Chief Minister on January 10. He, however, obtained exemptions on January 17 and 24, citing important official assignments.
Reddy is the number one accused in five charge sheets filed by the ED in the money laundering case. The ED filed the charge sheets under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and attached the assets of several industrialists and co-accused.
The CBI had filed 11 charge sheets in the disproportionate case registered during 2011-12.
In what is called the “quid-pro-quo” cases, Reddy was accused of getting investments into his businesses by firms and individuals in return for the undue favours by the government headed by his father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy between 2004 and 2009.
The CBI arrested him and sent him to jail on May 27, 2012. He was granted bail after 16 months in jail.
