Vijayamma gets emotional, Jagan consoles

It was an emotional scene inside the special court for CBI cases on Friday morning when Y S Jaganmohan Reddy was brought in. His mother and honorary president of YSR Congress Party Y S Vijayalakshmi, who reached the court along with daughter-in-law Bharathi and a few other close relatives, burst into tears in the packed court hall on seeing Jagan.

Tears running down her eyes, Vijayalakshmi asked Jagan how long the family will have to make rounds to the courts. An emotional Jagan, however, managed to stay balanced and consoled his mother wrapping his hands around her.

Jagan also tried to speak to former Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy, who did not respond initially. But she spoke to Jagan after a few minutes when the latter enquired about her son Karthik Reddy. After the court proceedings were over, Jagan was allowed to speak to his family members and close relatives for about two hours before being taken back to prison.

Earlier, the court warned the advocates appearing for Jagan that he would lose the sympathy of the court if the commotion created by his followers was repeated. Several dozens of Jagan's followers, some of them wearing lawyers' robes, shouted slogans in support of him inside the court hall forcing the special Judge to adjourn the case for about 10 minutes with a direction to Jagan supporters to clear the area.

However, the court hall remained packed and the Judge had to resume the proceedings as everyone inside the court hall drenched with sweat. Jagan was produced before the court along with accused number two V Vijay Sai Reddy at 10 am in connection with the process to start trial in the fifth charge sheet filed by the CBI. The CBI on April 8 filed chargesheet into the alleged irregularities and violations in granting mining leases for Dalmia Cements in return for investments in the businesses owned by Jagan. The court posted the case to June 21 for further proceedings.

The chargesheet alleged that Jagan influenced his chief minister father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy to extend undue favours to Dalmia Cements. In return, Dalmia Cements allegedly paid Rs 95 crore as bribe by way of investing the money in the group companies floated by Jagan. In another development, Jagan's wife Bharati is said to have warded off a police official with her hand asking him not to use physical force against women coming into the court.

New prosecutor for Jagan's case Hyderabad: A new prosecutor will lead the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) prosecution in the case registered against Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. Special Public Prosecutor K Surendra, who has been arguing for CBI in Satyam case, on Friday filed a memo of appearance on behalf of CBI in Jagan's case.

Surendra has been given the task since the deputy legal advisor Balla Ravindranath, who has been leading the prosecution so far, is being sent to Delhi on promotion as additional legal advisor, official sources said. Ravindranath will guide Surendra until he proceeds to Delhi around September this year.