AP HC directs probe into knife attack on Jagan

The Andhra Pradesh high court on Friday ordered a probe into the knife attack on YSR Congress party president YS Jaganmohan Reddy by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

As of now, the case is being investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the Andhra Pradesh police.

Counsel of Jagan expressed no faith in the probe by the state police. They wanted a thorough investigation by a central agency, preferably NIA.

Upon hearing the arguments presented by the state government, the centre and Jagan Reddy, the high court conceded the request for NIA probe.

Jagan was attacked by a 29-year old youth, Janipalli Srinivas, at Visakhapatnam airport on 25 October 2018 when he was waiting for a flight to Hyderabad at the VIP lounge.

Jagan suffered an injury to his left shoulder. The knife used in the attack was a cockfight knife. The attacker was a cook at the airport canteen.

Two days ago, Visakhapatnam city police commissioner Mahesh Chandra Paddhati said the attack was pre-planned. The attacker sterilised the knife twice before he attacked Jagan.

Srinivas, according to the commissioner, had planned the attack on 18 October but he could not accomplish it. Jagan, who is on his political padayatra, flies to Hyderabad from Visakhapatnam airport every Thursday to appear before the CBI court on Friday. The trial on his disproportionate assets case is going on in the CBI court.

The attack took a political colour as Jagan chose not to stay back in Vizag for treatment and legal formalities. After first aid, he flew to Hyderabad and got treated at a corporate hospital in Hyderabad.

He refused to record his statement with the AP police expressing no faith in them. The ruling Telugu Desam party alleged that the attacker was a fan of Jagan and the attack was planned for sympathy.