Jagan, Andhra minister named in fresh CBI chargesheets

YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and Andhra Pradesh minister J Geetha Reddy have been named in two fresh chargesheets filed in a local court by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing alleged quid pro quo investments in companies owned by the jailed Kadapa MP.

The CBI filed chargesheets against Lepakshi Knowledge Hub and Indu Tech Zone in a special CBI court in Hyderabad. Besides naming Jagan and his auditor V Vijayasai Reddy, the CBI has also named Andhra Pradesh's minister for Major Industries J Geetha Reddy, former minister Dharmana Prasada Rao and some Indian Administrative Service officers like Ratna Prabha, Sam Bob, M Samuel, as well as suspended IAS officer B P Acharya. The CBI has also named Sham Prasad Reddy, the promoter of the Indu Group, in its chargesheet against LKH. They have been charged by the CBI in the Jagan assets case, for making investments as a quid pro quo arrangement, in exchange for alleged favours by the YSR government.

So far, the CBI has filed eight chargesheets against Jagan and others accused in the case. This includes the three chargesheets filed on September 9 against Penna Cements, Raghuram (Bharathi) Cements and India Cements, naming its managing director N Srinivasan.

The Jaganmohan Reddy case relates to alleged investments made by private firms and individual investors in Jagan's companies as a quid pro quo for government favours when his father, late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was the Andhra Pradesh chief minister.

The CBI has accused Jagan of amassing huge wealth through illegal means by misusing the office of his late father YS Rajasekhara Reddy when he was chief minister of Andhra Pradesh between 2004 and 2009. Presently under judicial custody, Jagan has been lodged in the Chanchalguda Central Prison since his arrest by the CBI for corruption charges on May 27 last year. His bail plea will come up for hearing on Wednesday.

CBI sources in New Delhi said Lepakshi Knowledge Hub had allegedly received favours from the then Y S Rajasekhara Reddy government in the form of allotment of land to the extent of 8,844 acres of land in Ananthapur District.

The favours were allegedly given in response to quid pro quo investments of Rs 50 crore in Jagathi Publications owned by Jaganmohan Reddy, they said.

The second chargesheet, according to CBI sources, said Indu Techzone Pvt Limited was favoured by the state government with allotment of 250 acres of land at Shamshabad. The company allegedly made quid pro quo investments of Rs 15 crore in the Caramel Asia Holdings owned by the Kadapa MP.