Jaganmohan Reddy

As Chief Minister, Jagan to appear before CBI court on Friday for the first time

After six months of avoiding appearing in court, YS Jaganmohan Reddy will travel to the CBI court in Hyderabad on Friday morning. Last week, the court had frowned upon weekly requests from Jagan (accused number one in the Disproportionate Assets cases) and Vijaysai Reddy (Accused number two) for personal exemption, citing official engagements. It had directed both leaders to be present in court on 10 January. 

As opposition leader, Jagan regularly attended court, even taking a break every Friday during his 15-month-long padyatra. But the Jagan camp seemed averse to personal appearance once he became the chief minister. That was because it worried about the damage the optics of the chief minister travelling to court every Friday would do. It is aware that the opposition TDP that has never spared an opportunity to take potshots at his status as an accused, will flood the social media with pictures of his appearance in the dock. 

The Andhra Pradesh police have asked its Telangana counterparts to make necessary security arrangements and a massive security cover is expected to be thrown around the court complex on Friday. Jagan’s counsel had said an expenditure of Rs 60 lakh would be incurred everytime Jagan travels to Hyderabad and had cited that as one reason for granted personal exemption. The plea was not considered.

Jagan would not wish to take chances with defying the latest diktat by the court given that there was a possibility that the CBI could move for cancellation of his bail. He has been on bail since 2013 after spending over a year in Hyderabad central prison.  

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