CBI closing in on Jagan

Probe yet to find Jagan-Janardhana link, says YSR family aide

After the arrest of former Karnataka Minister Gali Janardhana Reddy, sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said they have found leads suggesting that Jagan could have received kickbacks from the firms which received mining licences from his father during his tenure as the chief minister.

The sources said that while there were always leads about Jagan having to gain from the licences granted to mining firms, evidence enough to arrest Janardhana Reddy and aide Srinivasa Reddy, said to be a distant relative of YSR, has taken them closer.

There have been several reports earlier about Jagan holding stakes in the same company as Janardhana, and also having several other business dealings.

The Andhra Pradesh Government had, during Rosaiah’s term as chief minister, initiated a CBI inquiry into the matter of illegal mining and irregularities in issual of licences to many mining firms by the YSR regime.

On Monday, the AP Government officially made no statement about the progress made by the CBI in the case, although the chief secretary’s office said that a meeting between the chief secretary and the chief minister was scheduled some time in the noon, without elaborating.

The meeting was scheduled just a few hours after Janardhana was arrested in Bellary and Jagan Mohan Reddy reacted angrily when Telugu TV channels prodded him with questions about the arrest.

Lakshminarayana, CBI Joint Director, Hyderabad Zone, told Deccan Herald over phone: “Janardhana Reddy’s arrest is not restricted to illegal mining, we are also looking into the irregularities in the issue of the licences during YSR regime.”

About Jagan and his involvement, he said: “We will reveal when it is appropriate,” suggesting that providing any form of information now could hamper the investigation.

Former MP from Kadapa and a close associate of the YSR family, Ambati Rambabu told Deccan Herald from Hyderabad: “How can one even think that there is any involvement from Jagan? We will reply if something concrete is presented before us.”

He was speaking on behalf of Jagan who was unavailable for comments. On allegations that Jagan’s firms had received investment from some of the firms that received mining licences when his father was the chief minister, he said: “...That is a different case, we will see if they (CBI) can establish something in that regard.”

Defending YSR, Rambabu questioned how one can blame the chief minister for the decisions taken by a ‘government’. “Several decisions were taken then. But they were taken by the government as an institution, not by YSR as a person.”