CBI files second charge sheet in Jagan assets case

Hyderabad, April 23 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Monday filed the second set of formal charges in an Andhra Pradesh court in a case involving the alleged illegal assets of YSR Congress party leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

The 47-page supplementary charge sheet filed in the CBI special court here has named Jaganmohan Reddy, who is popularly known as Jagan, his close aide Vijay Sai Reddy and Jagati Publications Private Ltd. (JPPL) owned by the Kadapa MP.

The investigating agency submitted to the court 28 documents and statements of 30 witnesses.

The first charge sheet filed March 31 had named Jaganmohan Reddy, Vijay Sai Reddy and 10 other individuals and organisations.

Meanwhile, Vijay Sai Reddy, whose bail was cancelled by the Andhra Pradesh High Court April 20, surrendered before the CBI special court.

The CBI court sent Vijay Sai Reddy to judicial custody till May 7. He was subsequently shifted to Chanchalguda Central Jail.

The investigating agency filed a petition, seeking his custody for questioning.

After spending over three months in the same jail, Vijay Sai Reddy was released April 13 following the conditional bail granted by the special court.

The CBI challenged the verdict in the high court on the ground that the investigations into the case were still on.

Vijay Sai Reddy was arrested by the CBI Jan 2. The vice-president of JPPL is also an auditor for many other companies of Jagan.

The CBI booked Jagan and 73 companies and individuals in August last year on the directions of the high court.

According to the investigating agency, Jagan conspired with his father and then chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy to dole out several favours to certain companies in return for the investments they made in his businesses.

Vijay Sai Reddy is the only person arrested in the case.

In another development, three new additional courts of the CBI were inaugurated Monday by the high court's Chief Justice Madan B. Lokur.

The high court transferred T. Pattabhirama Rao, B. Nagamurti Sarma and M.V. Ramana Naidu as the first, second and third additional special judges, respectively, for these courts.