Hyderabad: A special CBI court here on Monday dismissed YSR Congress party chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s petition for joint trial in connectin with five different chargesheets filed against him for alleged illegal assets.
The Principal Special Court for Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) cases rejected the Kadapa MP’s plea for the joint trial of all aspects on which the probe agency has so far filed five different chargesheets relating to alleged quid pro quo investments.
Jagan, as the young leader is popularly known, argued that since the charges in all the chargesheets were of the same nature, the court should take up joint trial.
The CBI, however, opposed the petition on the ground that the offences forming part of the crime were distinct in nature.
Meanwhile, the court also admitted for hearing CBI’s plea seeking judicial custody of former ministers Sabitha Indra Reddy and Dharmana Prasada Rao, both named as accused in chargesheets in the same case. The court issued notices to both the former ministers and adjourned the hearing to June 12.
The court asked the CBI to give in writing the statements made by the two accused before media.
The investigating agency had last week submitted to the court a CD containing the clippings of the statements made by the ministers, which it argued, would influence the investigations.
The court also admitted for hearing another petition by the CBI, seeking permission to prosecute Dharmana under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) as he ceased to be a public servant. The hearing on this aspect was adjourned to June 13.
The court also adjourned to June 19 hearing on the CBI petition to shift Jagan’s financial advisor and key accused in the case Vijay Sai Reddy to another jail. Both the accused are currently lodged in Chanchalguda Central Jail here.
The CBI sought shifting of Vijay Sai to another jail on the ground that their presence in the same jail could impact the investigations. (IANS)