Vijayawada: Senior Telugu Desam leader and AP Housing Corporation chairman Varla Ramaiah had asked the CBI to seize the passport of YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy to prevent him from leaving the country. As the CBI court is scheduled to give its verdict on CBI’s plea for cancellation of Jaganmohan Reddy’s bail petition on April 28, Ramaiah hinted at the possibility of the leader leaving the country to avoid arrest.

Ramaiah recalled that Vijay Mallya had fled from the country to avoid arrest and feared that Jaganmohan Reddy too would escape if the government and the courts remain silent. He further said that Jaganmohan Reddy had already sought permission from the court to go for holidays to New Zealand. He said that Jaganmohan Reddy is facing 11 charge sheets, while his assets were attached by the Enforcement Directorate in 4 cases. Stating that the government was having tough time to bring Vijay Mallya who is accused in Rs 9,000 crore, he wondered how can the government allow Jaganmohan Reddy who is accused in Rs 43,000 crore fraud case.

The TDP leader further alleged that Jaganmohan Reddy was also trying to influence witnesses in the CBI cases, besides misleading the courts. He cited the interview of former chief secretary Ramakanth Reddy in the Sakshi media and said that the interview was an open attempt by Jaganmohan Reddy to mislead the courts.

He took strong exception to the YSR Congress leaders drawing parallels between Jaganmohan Reddy and Nara Lokesh. He said that Jaganmohan Reddy had indulged in criminal activities when his father was chief minister, while Lokesh was extending welfare programmes to the party cadre with his father as Chief Minister. “There is a complete difference between Jaganmohan Reddy and Lokesh and it is unfair to compare them. Lokesh is not a criminal and corrupt like Jaganmohan Reddy,” he asserted.