Disproportionate Assets case: Jagan's remand extended to October 9

The special CBI court on Tuesday extended the judicial remand of Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy till October 9 in the alleged quid pro quo deals case. Along with Jagan, the remand of former minister Mopidevi Venkataramana and senior bureaucrats KK Brahamananda Reddy and Nimmagadda Prasad was also extended till October 9.

Jagan and others, presently lodged in the Chenchalguda Central Prison, were produced before the court by jail authorities after the court had earlier taken cognisance of the fourth chargesheet filed by the CBI against them. The court permitted Jagan to have an interaction with his family members, including his mother and YSR Congress leader Vijayamma and wife Bharathi for 30 minutes, who were present during the court proceedings.

Senior minister gets breather

Earlier, Andhra Pradesh Minister for Roads and Buildings Dharmana Prasada Rao, IAS officers Manmohan Singh and M Samuel, and two others accused - Nimmaggada Prakash and Vijay Sai Reddy - appeared before the court by furnishing bail bonds (personal bonds) for a sum of Rs 25,000 each and two sureties of like sum.

The court had directed all the 14 accused named in the chargesheet to appear before it today.

The case

The charge sheet in the DA case pertains to VANPIC project, whose promoter (industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad), allegedly invested Rs 854 crore in the companies belonging to Jagan towards a largesse for which the then AP government, led by late YS Rajasekhara Reddy, doled out many favours in the form of awarding the project. Dharmana was the revenue minister in the YSR regime between 2004-2009, including the period when the Vanpic project was conceived.

It was alleged that as revenue minister in 2008-09, "Dharmana Prasada Rao played a key role in fixing low market price for the Vanpic land and acted more in connivance with another accused Nimmagadda Prasad." The minister has already submitted his resignation to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, though it was yet to be accepted.

Samuel is currently chief commissioner of land administration while Manmohan Singh is principal secretary in the Animal Husbandry department.

Apart from Jagan, the chargesheet also names his financial advisor V Vijay Sai Reddy, Nimmagadda Prasad alias Matrix Prasad, former Minister Mopidevi Venkatramana Rao, IAS officers Manmohan Singh and M Samuel, senior bureaucrat K V Brahmananda Reddy (presently under judicial custody) and Nimmagadda Prakash in the case for alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating and others under relevant sections of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.

Besides, the chargesheet also names Vanpic Projects, Jagati Publications, Raghuram Cement Corporation, Bharati Cement Corporation, Carmel Asia Holdings and Silicon Builders in the case.

During the hearing today, the court was jampacked and a group of advocates raised slogans over alleged high-handness by police who had made elaborate security arrangements in and around the court, in view of appearance of the VVIPs.