CBI court orders AP CM Jagan to appear 'in person' on Jan 10

Hyderabad: In a set back to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, the CBI Special Court has directed that he must appear in person for the next hearing on January 10 in the quid pro quo investments case. It also directed the Accused No. 2 and Rajya Sabha member V. Vijayasai Reddy also to appear in person in CBI Special Court judge B.R. Madhusudhan Rao passed orders to this effect on Friday during the hearing of the case.

The counsel for the CM and Vijaysai Reddy filed a dispense petition seeking exemption from court proceedings to the CM as he was busy with official duties and for Vijaysai Reddy who was attending a meeting in Delhi on Friday. The judge expressed his displeasure at these petitions and pointed out that Jagan has not been attending court proceedings on one or other pretext from March 1st 2019, which was his last personal appearance. Making it clear that he was allowing the dispense petitions for this hearing only, the judge directed that both Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and V Vijaysai Reddy must be present in the court on the next date of hearing on January 10th.

It may be recalled that the CBI Special Court had dismissed the petition on November 1st filed by the Chief Minister seeking exemption from personal appearance in the court proceedings because of his becoming Chief Minister and having to discharge several functions

In-Camera Proceedings

Meanwhile, the CBI Special Court judge ordered that proceedings in the disproportionate assets case of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy will be held in-camera henceforth. The court staff asked all other advocates and clients other than of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and V Vijaysai Reddy to move out of the court and the hearing continued in-camera.