Jagan aide Vijay Sai Reddy back in jail

Vijay Sai Reddy, a close aide of YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, Wednesday surrendered before a special court here in a case related to charges of disproportionate assets against the political leader.

Vijay Sai, auditor of the companies owned by the jailed leader and a key accused in the case, surrendered before the CBI court following last month's orders by the Supreme Court cancelling his bail.

The CBI court sent Vijay Sai to judicial custody till June 17. He was subsequently shifted to Chanchalguda Central Jail, where Jaganmohan Reddy and the other accused have been lodged for over one year.

The auditor moved a petition, seeking special category status in jail. The hearing on the petition was adjourned to Thursday.

The Supreme Court on May 9 quashed the order of the Andhra Pradesh High Court which upheld the bail granted to Vijay Sai in April last year by the trial court.

The CBI had argued that Vijay Sai was granted bail on irrelevant considerations.

The Supreme Court agreed with the CBI that Vijay Sai was not an ordinary chartered accountant but the main brain behind the scam.

Vijay Sai, accused number two in the case, was arrested in January last year.

The CBI has opposed the bail petition of former minister Mopidevi Venkatramna, also an accused.

The investigating agency, in its counter affidavit filed in the court, said investigations were still on and Mopidevi, if granted bail, could influence the witnesses.

Jagan, as the MP from Kadapa is popularly known, and Mopidevi were arrested in May last year.

Jagan is accused of amassing wealth through illegal means (quid-pro-quo deals) when his father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was chief minister from 2004 to 2009.