Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy summoned by ED court in land allotment irregularities case

In mounting trouble for Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, an Enforcement Directorate (ED) court has summoned him to appear on January 11 in Hyderabad, in an ongoing case involving certain private companies, as per PTI. Reddy has been directed to appear after the case had been transferred from a local court to the ED court, sources said, indicating that the matter related to alleged irregularities over land allotment to the companies during the rule of late chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy - his father. This summons came after the long-awaited transfer of the case from the local court to the ED happened now.

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What case does Jagan face?

The CBI and ED are probing into accusations that Hetero and Aurobindo pharma companies invested Rs 27.25 crores in  Jagathi Publications - which is headed by Jagan, state reports. The companies had allegedly invested this money for the allotment of 150 acres at Pharma Special Economic Zone at Jadcherla in Mahabubnagar district by the YSR regime between 2004-2009, as per reports. ED and CBI have alleged that Aurobindo later transferred some lands to its sister concern Trident Life Sciences.

Charging the companies under the PMLA, the ED have attached assets worth Rs 51 crore of these companies. Reports state that while the companies had moved an appellate tribunal seeking release of its assets, the court asked them to deposite equal amount of cash deposit. Jagan is currently out on bail in a CBI case for embezzlement, after a 16-month jail stint in 2011.

As per reports, an ED special court has also sent notices to YSRCP general secretary V Vijay Sai Reddy, retired IAS officer BP Acharya, Hetero Group of companies’ director M Srinivasa Reddy, Aurobindo Pharma managing director K Nityananda Reddy and Trident Life Sciences’ former managing director P Sharat Chandra Reddy, summoning them. The case which was heard by a metropolitan sessions judge court in Nampally, where the ED had filed six chargesheets in 2016, has now been shifted to a special court, state reports. Moreover, the CBI has also filed 11 separate charge sheets in the case.

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Jagan's legal battle

Recently, Andhra Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy created a furore, by writing to CJI S A Bobade, alleging that next-in-line for CJI - Justice NV Ramana - is trying to influence the High Courts due to his proximity with former CM Chandrababu Naidu. In an 8-page letter sent to CJI SA Bobde on October 6, Jagan Mohan Reddy has accused Justice NV Ramana of being biased towards TDP and claimed that attempts are being made to topple his government. In response, BJP advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay had written to Attorney General KK Venugopal to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against Jagan, which was refused. But the Andhra Pradesh High Court  has recently initiated contempt proceeding and ordered a CBI inquiry into several YSRCP members, for objectionable social media posts on the judiciary.

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