Hyderabad:
Jagan Mohan Reddy has been chargesheeted by the CBI for building up a vast fortune by misusing the office of his father, YSR Reddy, when he was chief minister. Jagan has not yet been arrested. He is currently touring the West Godavari district ahead of assembly by-elections. 16 of the 17 assembly by-elections that Jagan is campaigning for will be in an area that has been loyal to his father, YSR Reddy. Elections here will be held before the end of May.
Here are 10 developments in his case including why the charges against him are equally worrying for his former party, the Congress, who he now accuses of political vendetta.
- A chargesheet filed against him and 12 others accuses him of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and abuse of official positions.
- The gist of the charges is that businessmen and others were encouraged to invest in Jagan Mohan's vast business empire, following which they would receive licences or other favours from the government, which was headed by his father, YSR Reddy.
- YSR, as he was known, was one of Andhra Pradesh's most popular leaders. He died in a plane crash in September 2009. The Congress did not appoint Jagan Mohan as his successor and after many months of public bickering, Jagan formed his own party, the YSR Congress.
- The chargesheet refers to YSR stating that had he been alive, he would have been tried under the Prevention of Corruption Act for accepting bribes and misusing his office.
- This is hugely embarrassing for the Congress because YSR was celebrated by the party.
- Jagan has not been arrested so far. Sources in the government say they're concerned over whether his arrest could provoke law and order problems, as well as turn public sympathy in his favour.
- On what charges would somebody arrest me? Did I make a phone call to an IAS officer, did I make a phone call to a minister? Did I even go to the secretariat for even a single day? On what charges would anybody arrest me? I seriously don't understand. This is way too much," he said yesterday.
- Jagan is currently touring the West Godavari district ahead of assembly by-elections.
- Jagan's assets last year totalled 365 crores. The investigation into Jagan's wealth was ordered by the Andhra Pradesh High Court in August last year. Jagan had appealed to the Supreme Court to stop the inquiry but that was not entertained.
- The Supreme Court earlier this month said that six ministers, all from the Congress, and eight bureaucrats from the Indian Administrative Service, should explain their alleged role in a case of corruption against him. These people were allegedly responsible for 26 deals between the government and different companies. The case against Jagan has been constructed on the basis of these agreements.