NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on a plea seeking cancellation of bail granted to him in a disproportionate assets case.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Pankaj Mithal also issued notice to CBI and sought response of the agency as well as from Reddy on an appeal filed by YSR Congress rebel MP Raghu Ramkrishna Raju, who claimed in his petition that he approached the court as his “conscience is shaken by the manner in which the state machinery is being manipulated to suit the sitting chief minister of the state”.

Advocate Balaji Srinivasan, appearing for the petitioner, contended that the Telangana high court erred by rejecting his plea for cancellation of Reddy’s bail as the order was passed mechanically without appreciating that the accused had breached his bail condition. He also challenged the order granting exemption to Reddy from personal appearance in the trial. “The impugned orders has caused a travesty of justice in as much as it has permitted the accused and prosecuting agency to have a ‘friendly match’ while the umpire (the HC) has lost its wicket,” the petition said.

“In the present case as well, there appears to be a friendly match being played between the accused and prosecution, which has shown no sense of urgency or intent towards completing prosecution of the criminal trials. …The criminal trial in the present case is artificially being directed towards acquittals/discharge of the accused persons by simply delaying and prolonging the trial. The prosecution has been supporting the accused persons’ endeavour in this regard,” the petition said.

“The so-called changed circumstance of the respondent no.1 becoming the CM should not have had any bearing on the grant of permanent exemption; and simply sends out the message that persons in power get liberties which an ordinary person would not,” it said.