TDP for speedy trial against Jagan, says his case similar to Sasikala

Party demanded expeditious trial of the illegal assets case against the YSR Congress president

Drawing a parallel between the J Jayalalithaa case, which the Supreme Court disposed on Tuesday, and that of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, the ruling Telugu Desam Party on Tuesday demanded expeditious trial of the illegal assets case against the YSR Congress president.

"There is no difference between the two cases. There, Sasikala (close aide of the late Tamil Nadu CM) misused Jayalalithaa's position and amassed illegal wealth through quid pro quo deals. Jagan did the same in Andhra Pradesh abusing his father (late) YS Rajasekhara Reddy's position (as CM).

"If Sasikala got a four-year jail term for a scam of Rs 66 crore, Jagan should get many more years as he illegally amassed about Rs one lakh crore," TDP MLC and spokesman Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy told reporters here this evening.

V K Sasikala, who was leading an aggressive bid to become CM of the southern state, received a jolt when the apex court today restored her conviction in a disproportionate assets case and sent her back to jail.

Reddy said the "modus operandi" used by both Sasikala and Jagan, by floating shell companies and laundering money, were the same.

"As per the supreme court's previous directions, the cases against Jagan should be disposed of within one year. Even if he gets convicted in one out of 11 cases, he is sure to end up in jail for many years," the TDP leader said.

He said the Enforcement Directorate had already attached Jagan's properties worth Rs 3,000 crore while the CBI and the ED have unearthed illegal assets to the tune of Rs 40,000 crore in name of Jagan and his companies.

"We demand a speedy trial into Jagan's illegal assets cases," Reddy added.