The Telangana state government is providing heavy security cover for AP CM YS Jaganmohan Reddy, who will appear in CBI Court in Nampally on Friday to face trail in disproportionate assets case.
Special police teams are being deployed in and around the court premises.
Huge police force from AP will also be accompanying Jagan from Vijayawada.
Though Jagan attending CBI court to face trial is not new, what attracted national headlines this time is this is for the first time that Jagan is attending the court in person in his capacity as the Chief Minister of a State.
The CBI has set up a special court for the hearing of Jagan’s disproportionate asets case in 2013. Jagan was asked to attend the court every Friday.
Jagan attended the court regularly till March 2018 as the Member of Parliament and the Leader of Opposition in AP Legislative Assembly since then.
But after winning the AP Assembly polls with a landslide majority in May 2018 and becoming the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Jagan has been avoiding the court under one pretext or the other.
He has been claiming exemption every week citing his busy schedule as CM, meetings with PM, central ministers etc.
After becoming CM, Jagan filed a petition in the CBI Court seeking permanent exemption from personal appearance saying that as CM he has to perform constitutional duties. He also cited ‘financial burden’ on AP government on account of his visit from Vijayawada to Amaravathi every week due to security and protocol issues which the ‘revenue-deficit state’ AP cannot bear.
However, the court dismissed Jagan’s plea on November 1, 2018 and made it clear that it cannot give permanent exemption.
Since then, Jagan has been claiming weekly exemption every week under one pretext or the other.
However, the CBI Court last month expressed severe anger over Jagan skipping the trial every week under one pretext or the other since March last year and directed him to appear in person without fail on January 10, 2020, Friday. It also directed YSRCP MP Vijayasai Reddy, who is Accused No. 2 in DA case to appear in person.
Left with no option, both Jagan and Vijayasai are attending CBI court on Friday.
The AP Police has requested TS Police to provide tight security to Jagan at CBI Court Nampally.
The AP DGP has dashed off a letter to TS DGP seeking adequate security for Jagan in the court premises.
Interestingly, Jagan’s mother YS Vijayamma and his sister YS Sharmila were also asked to appear in the special court for MLAs/ MPs located in Hyderabad to face election code violation case registered against them in 2012 in Parakala in Warangal district.
This would mean that the family members of late CM YS Rajasekhar Reddy are attending the court on the same day.
