Updated: October 12, 2020 7:41:17 am
Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy and Justice NV Ramana
ANDHRA Pradesh, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s letter alleging wrongdoing by judge NV Ramana, a sitting judge of the Supreme Court and next in line to be president of the Supreme Court, comes when a bank headed by the judge is listening to a petition that seeks to accelerate the pending criminal cases against acting legislators and former legislators.
In fact, it was after an order from this court that proceedings against Reddy, in a disproportionate assets case, were resumed in a CBI Special Court in Hyderabad on October 9.
The following day, the Chief Advisor to the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Ajeya Kallam, delivered the CM letter to Chief Justice SA Bobde.
The CM last appeared in CBI Court on February 7 and has filed 11 petitions seeking a personal appearance waiver citing logistical reasons and its busy schedule.
On October 9, when the hearing resumed, Reddy’s attorney, G Ashok Reddy, requested a virtual hearing on the case. The court has published the matter as of Monday.
The case against the CM dates back to August 10, 2011, when the Andhra Pradesh High Court ordered the CBI to investigate allegations of corruption and misappropriation in the government of the late Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy in a petition filed by Congress. MLA P Shankar Rao.
On August 17, 2011, the CBI Anti-Corruption Office filed an FIR against YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and others under Sections 120-B of the IPC (Criminal Conspiracy); 409 (Criminal abuse of trust); 420 (trap); 468 (Forgery of documents); 471 (Use of documents falsified as genuine); and Sections 11, 12, 13 (2) of the Corruption Prevention Law.
After seven months of investigation by a multidisciplinary team from CBI, the agency submitted its first charge sheet on March 31, 2012. The 68-page charge sheet named Jagan Mohan Reddy, who was a Kadapa deputy at that time. moment, as the number one defendant and alleged that he accumulated wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Twelve others, including his confidant V Vijay Sai Reddy, were also named on the charge sheet. The main CBI charge against Jagan Mohan Reddy was that he influenced his father, when he was CM from 2004 to 2009, to issue orders that favored some private companies and individuals by granting mining leases or land at cheap rates, who, in his turn Once, they invested in Jagan Mohan’s business in a quid pro quo arrangement.
The CBI produced 10 more charge sheets related to various projects and individuals who invested in Jagan’s companies, listing Jagan Mohan Reddy as a defendant.
Based on the CBI’s findings, the Enforcement Directorate also filed five cases against him. On January 17 of this year, Jagan Mohan Reddy petitioned the CBI court to postpone the money laundering cases until the trial in the CBI cases was completed, but the court rejected his request.
The ED argued that their money laundering cases and the CBI cases were linked and should be heard together.
Meanwhile, in the high court, the 2016 petition seeking a ban on convicted legislators and special courts to expedite their cases, filed by attorney Ashwani Upadhyay, was heard by the banks led by Judge Ranjan Gogoi until his retirement in November. of 2019, after which he was listed before the bank headed by current Chief Justice SA Bobde, who flagged him to the bank headed by Judge Ramana.
In November 2017, the high court headed by Judge Gogoi had ordered the creation of special courts in each state to try pending cases. Consequently, 12 such courts were established throughout the country.
However, with the processing still high and the disposal rate slow, the SC has continued to monitor the matter and issue instructions. The court also appointed lead attorney Vijay Hansaria to assist him as amicus curiae in the matter.
Judge Ramana Bench first addressed the matter on March 4, 2020.
On March 5, the CS, which had previously ordered the various Superior Courts to provide details on pending cases against legislators, asked them to provide one more piece of information: “expected time for completion of the trial on the matter.”
All the information provided by the different HCs was later compiled by Hansaria and presented to the SC. The report noted that there are around 4,442 cases currently pending against parliamentarians and members of the judiciary, including 2,556 against representatives of the people in office.
The amicus report stated that one of the reasons for the processing of the cases was the suspension granted by the higher courts.
Noting, Judge Ramana, on September 16, requested the Presidents of the Supreme Court to constitute a Special Court to monitor the progress of the trial of these cases and to “immediately” list all the cases that have been suspended and decide whether the suspension should continue or not.
All eyes are now on how the Supreme Court responds to this unprecedented letter from a CM to the CJI. “It would be less than responsible for a political party from a political podium to comment at this early stage on this letter. I believe that what we call the Parens patriae, the guardian of this citadel, has been entrusted to him and it is his turn to react. It is not appropriate for any of us to make an irresponsible comment at this stage, ”Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said when asked about the issue at an AICC press conference.
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