Court rejects CBI plea for narco test on Jagan aide

Hyderabad -  A special court here Thursday dismissed a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) petition that sought its permission for narco-analysis test on Vijay Sai Reddy in a case involving YSR Congress Party leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy's alleged illegal assets. Reddy was a close aide to Jaganmohan.

The CBI special court refused permission for narco-analysis test on the ground that, as ruled by the Supreme Court, it could not be conducted without the consent of the accused.

The probe agency moved the petition last month. Its counsel B. Ravindranath told the court that Reddy was not cooperating in its investigation.

The agency said unless Reddy opened his mouth, it would be difficult to unravel the conspiracy. It told the court that it wanted to take up the test to know where the illegally earned money was parked by Jaganmohan Reddy, popularly known as Jagan.

Reddy's counsel Susheel Kumar informed the court that his client would not agree to narco-analysis test as he had already provided all the information to the CBI. Reddy was arrested by the CBI Jan 2.

Reddy, a vice-president of Jagati Publications Pvt. Ltd. owned by Jagan, allegedly played a key role in floating dozens of companies by Jagan and mobilising investments from various companies both in India and abroad.

Vijay Sai Reddy is the auditor of Jagan's companies, including Telugu daily Sakshi and a television channel by the same name.

He is the only accused arrested in the case since the CBI launched its investigations in August last year.

The CBI booked Jagan and 72 others following a direction from the Andhra Pradesh High Court on the petitions of former state minister P. Shankar Rao and leaders of the opposition Telugu Desam Party.

Jagan, an MP from Kadapa, is facing the allegation of conspiring with his late father and former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy to grant approvals for mining licences, special economic zones, ports and real estate permissions to unscrupulous investors who pumped in money into his companies on a quid pro quo basis.