Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has been taken into custody by the CBI in disproportionate assets case on Sunday, even as his mother Vijayamma and other family members sat in a dharna in front of Dilkusha Guest House where he was being held.
While the CBI apparently decided on arresting Jagan on Sunday morning, they did not reveal anything for quite some time, even as the entire state was glued to television sets in anticipation of the news. Finally, YSR Congress Party leader Jupudi Prabhakara Rao, who stayed put at Dilkusha since morning, broke the news of arrest.
“The CBI has just informed Jagan’s lawyers that he was taken into custody at 7.15 pm,” Jupudi told the posse of media persons stationed at Dilkusha since morning.
The official announcement came later from a CBI official in Delhi, who made a brief statement,””CBI arrested Jagan Mohan Reddy at 7.15 PM”.
The officials said that Jagan’s answers to several questions regarding routing of funds from tax havens like Mauritius and Isle of Mann and quid pro quo in many cases were not convincing.
The authorities seem to have taken all possible precautions before making the arrest of Jagan public. Security was beefed up across the state, RTC buses were taken off roads in several districts and some leaders of YSR Congress Party taken into custody by evening, giving a strong clue to the media that the arrest was in the offing.
The preventive measures seemed to have paid off as no untoward incidents were reported from anywhere following the arrest of the YSR Congress Party leader. Many party leaders condemned CBI action and reiterated that the party would receive massive support in the ensuing by-polls despite the ‘conspiracy’ to destroy Jagan.
Jagan would stay at Dilkush for the night and on Monday morning, the CBI would produce him before the magistrate. He is also scheduled to appear before the court with regard to the first charge sheet filed against him.
Legal experts said that Jagan could apply for bail on Monday itself, but the court would take time for CBI’s counter before taking a decision. Meanwhile, the CBI is also expected to petition the court for Jagan’s remand for further questioning.
Jagan’s family members including his mother Vijaya, wife Bharathi, sister Sharmila and her husband Anil Kumar who visited Jagan at Dilkusha, in a dramatic move, sat in dharna protesting his arrest. Speaking to reporters, Vijaya questioned the motives behind the arrest and alleged that the CBI action was vengeful.
