CBI court issues summons to Andhra home minister in Jagan case

A special court Monday issued summons to Andhra Pradesh Home Minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy in a disproportionate assets case involving YSR Congress party leader Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

Taking cognizance of the fifth charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the special court dealing with CBI cases issued summons to Sabitha and 12 others, directing them to appear before the court on June 7.

The court issued prisoner transit warrant against Jaganmohan Reddy directing Chanchalguda Jail authorities to produce him before the court. The MP from Kadapa, popularly known as Jagan, is in jail for nearly a year.

The charge sheet filed on April 8 related to Dalmia Cement aspect of Jagan case. The CBI has named Sabitha as fourth accused in the charge sheet. She has been charged with criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating and misuse of office.

As minister for mining in the cabinet of Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy (2004-09), she had allotted 407 hectares of government land in Kadapa district for limestone mining to Eshwar Cements, which was later transferred to Dalmia Cements, a company which allegedly invested Rs.95 crore in Jagan's Bharati Cements.

The CBI believes it was one of the several 'quid pro quo deals' under which the government of Rajasekhara Reddy granted favours to companies and individuals who invested in the business of his son Jagan.

YSR, as Rajasekhara Reddy was known, died in a helicopter crash on Sep 2, 2009.

Sabitha had offered to quit after she was named by the CBI. However, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy advised her not to resign.

She is the third minister to be named in the case. Mopidevi Venkatramna was arrested on May 24 last year. He resigned the same day as excise minister. He was holding infrastructure and investment portfolio in YSR's cabinet and had allegedly allotted huge chunks of land to VANPIC, whose promoter Nimmagadda Prasad made investments in Jagan's firms.

Roads and Buildings Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao, who was holding revenue portfolio at the time of the land allotment, was also named in the fourth charge sheet filed by the CBI in August last year. However, the chief minister did not accept his resignation and the state cabinet also refused to give permission to the CBI for his prosecution