Andhra Pradesh CM Jaganmohan Reddy's bail case verdict on September 15

A special CBI court in Hyderabad will deliver its verdict on a petition seeking cancellation of Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jaganmohan Reddy's bail on September 15.

Reddy, arrested in the disproportionate assets case by the CBI in May 2012 when he was the Kadapa MP, has been out on bail since September 2013.

YSRCP rebel MP Raghu Rama Krishnam Raju had petitioned the CBI court in April asking for cancellation of the bail, claiming bail condition violations, and apprehending that Reddy was using his position to influence the persons connected with the case, seating them in plum positions.

The DA case pertains to the alleged quid pro quo investments made by various firms in Reddy's companies, when his father late YS Rajasekhara Reddy was the chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh from 2004-09, in return for favours like allocation of land and other resources.

Central agencies CBI and ED had investigated the claims of criminal conspiracy etc., against Reddy in the case involving several industrialists, ministers and top bureaucrats.

Reddy is the prime accused in the 11 charge sheets filed.

Though he was attending the trial when he was the opposition leader, he has been seeking exemptions from the weekly court appearances since he became the Chief Minister in May 2019. Apart from citing his official duties, Reddy also contended that his presence would incur huge public expenditure for travel from Amaravati with all the security protocol.

Raju, a Lok Sabha MP from  Narsapuram, is alleging that Reddy's absence has affected the trial.

On 15 September, the CBI court would also pass its orders on another petition filed by Raju for the cancellation of the bail of Rajya Sabha MP Vijayasai Reddy. Vijayasai, a close aide of Reddy and YSRCP Parliamentary party leader, is a co-accused in the cases.

The court which had earlier heard the arguments in the Jagan bail case has on Wednesday completed the hearings in Vijayasai bail case.

A month after his petition, Raju was arrested in May by the AP CID police on the charges of “indulging in hate speeches against certain communities and promoting disaffection against the government.”

Raju was booked under sections 124A (sedition), 153 A (promoting enmity between groups), and 505 read with 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.

Raju who had then claimed that he was tormented by the police while in custody, is out on bail granted by the Supreme Court.

Raju, also an industrialist, appears regularly on certain Telugu TV channels with a commentary seen as unfavorable of various policies of Reddy's government and actions of YSRCP leaders.

The YSRCP had sought disqualification of Raju on the charges of anti-party activities.