For over two times, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has not filed its counter in the CBI Court on the Jaganmohan Reddy bail petition. As a result, the judge gave one final chance to the CBI to file the counter by June 1. If the CBI can’t file the counter by that time, the court has said that it would take up the case on its own without further waiting for the CBI’s response.

Now, there are only three days left for the CBI. Amid this, there is rising curiosity in the political and legal circles whether the CBI would continue to avoid filing its counter. The tricky issue here is the CBI has no freedom to file its counter as it pleases. This is a politically sensitive case and the top people in the Central Government would have to give their green signal. So, everybody is speculating how the BJP national leadership would react to this critical moment.

It is indeed a difficult decision coming at a critical time. The petitioner, Raghurama Raju, was ‘beaten up’ while in custody. He was an MP having top connections in Delhi. Raju complained in his petition that Mr. Jagan Reddy was misusing his authority as CM to influence and threaten the other accused and witnesses in the CBI cases. Raju’s ‘custodial torture’ took place after this bail cancellation case came up for hearing.

Doubtless to say, the BJP national leaders would find it very hard to take a final decision. If the CBI says no to the bail cancellation petition, it would automatically send the signal that the CM had stronger relations with the BJP top leaders than eer before.