Court sends Jagan to CBI custody for five days

Hyderabad -  In another setback to MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy in disproportionate assets case, the Andhra Pradesh High Court Saturday sent him to the Central Bureau of  Investigation (CBI) custody for five days.

The high court also dismissed Jagan's quash petition, seeking orders to declare his arrest illegal.

Though the CBI sought Jagan's custody for 10 days, the court sent him to the probe agency's custody for five days from June 3.

Justice B. Chandra Kumar, who had reserved his orders Friday after hearing arguments from both the sides, pronounced it after 3.30 p.m. Saturday.

The YSR Congress Party leader was arrested by the CBI May 27 and the next day the CBI court sent him to judicial custody till June 11. He is currently lodged in Chanchalguda Central Jail.

The CBI court Friday dismissed Jagan's petition for interim bail. He had sought bail at least till June 10 so that he could campaign for the June 12 by-elections to one Lok Sabha and 18  assembly seats.

The court directed the CBI not to use third-degree methods on Jagan during the questioning.

As per the conditions laid down by the court, the CBI would question Jagan every day from 10.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the presence of his lawyer.

The officials may question him either at the CBI office at Koti or at Dilkusha Guest House, the camp office of the central agency.

The CBI, while seeking Jagan's custody, had complained that he did not part with information during the questioning for three days before his arrest.

The investigating agency wants to grill him about the investments that were made into his companies by various firms, including a few firms based in Luxembourg and Mauritius. The CBI

alleged that Jagan routed the investment through hawala channel into his businesses.

The CBI believes Jagan conspired with his father and then chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy to dole out favours in the form of lands, licences and concessions to certain companies

which made investments in Jagan's firms on quid pro quo basis.

Appearing on behalf of the CBI, Additional Solicitor General Harin P. Raval opposed bail to Jagan on the ground that he may tamper with the evidence or influence the witnesses.

Jagan's counsel Ranjit Kumar argued that the arrest of his client was illegal.

The MP's counsel also accused the CBI of arresting his client under a political conspiracy to keep him away from campaigning for the by-elections.