For the past five years, YSR Congress leader and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has avoided attending trial in the alleged corruption case filed against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2012.
He cited his demanding administrative schedule as prime minister as preventing him from appearing in court regularly and the inconvenience that his entourage would cause to other people appearing in court as reasons for his resignation.
But now that Jagan is no longer the Chief Minister or even Leader of the Opposition, he cannot use the same excuse to avoid appearing in court.
He is currently just a state legislator with minimal security, meaning his appearance in court will not cause much of a stir.
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In this situation, the Special CBI Cases Court at Nampally in Hyderabad began hearing the CBI case against Jagan on Wednesday. The court, after considering the situation, adjourned the hearing till Friday.
The CBI court announced that it will henceforth hold regular hearing of the cases against Jagan from Friday onwards. It will hold regular hearing of 11 cases filed by the CBI and nine cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate.
The CBI is likely to ask the court to lift the exemption that the state high court earlier granted to Jagan from appearing before it periodically. The CBI will seek the court to direct Jagan to appear before it regularly.
However, sources said Jagan may seek exemption from appearing before the CBI court this week citing the need to attend the state Assembly session that begins on Friday.
