"CBI Extending Jagan Investigation Is Outlandish"

Questioning the style of functioning of CBI, which has been toeing a dubious path in the investigation of Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s case, the YSR Congress has said that the investigation agency has been acting in an adamant manner as it has shown scant respect to its manual which specifies that the investigation should be completed within 90 days of the arrest of any person.

"CBI seeking three more months time to complete the investigation process is sheer outlandishness on its part, and it is against its own manual which gives 90 days to complete the process of any investigation. Even six months after arresting Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, a day before he was to depose before the court, CBI saying that it needs three months to complete the investigation is outrageous," party spokesperson Jupudi Prabhakar Rao told reporters here on Tuesday.

CBI Director AP Singh told media in Delhi that the investigation on Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s case will be completed in three months. However, the same investigation agency had initially said that it would complete the process within two weeks and, since then, has been changing its timeline constantly, Prabhakar Rao said.

The YSRCP leader said that six months have passed but still CBI is not able to frame the charges, which raises serious doubts about the arrest itself, and it has been functioning like a puppet in the hands of the Central government. The ruling Congress and main opposition TDP have ganged up to settle political scores against Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy whose popularity has become an eye-sore to both the parties, he said.

The state government which has given a clean chit to cabinet minister Dharmana Prasada Rao that the cabinet has acted as per the provisions of the law while issuing 26 GOs tantamount to lack of quid pro quo case and if so why is Y S Jagan in jail for six months is a question that needs to be answered to the Supreme Court sooner or later, he said.

Telugu Desam, which is a party to the PIL in the 26 GOs case, has been issuing damaging statements on the eve of any judicial process involving Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, unmindful of the agony of family members and the cases in which N Chandrababu Naidu is involved, he said.

The TDP leader is known for having secret pacts, and has been actively in touch with Delhi Congress leaders to safeguard himself on one side and in return to help the precariously placed Kiran Kumar Reddy government on the other, he said adding that CBI on its part has been maintaining double standards and is soft on TDP while it has been hyper-active in Y S Jagan’s case.

"The state government lost its moral ground when it included YSR’s name in the FIR and did a turn-around by absolving Dharmana Prasada Rao of all charges in the 26 GOs case. The actions of the state as well as the functioning of CBI are beyond reason or rhyme," he said.

"With due respect to the Courts and rule of the land, CBI should answer as to why Jagan has to be in jail for six months. The CBI started raids ten months before the arrest of Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and even now it has been maintaining it is still gathering evidence. This clearly shows that CBI is being used as a tool by Congress and TDP as the two parties are unable to take on Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy politically," he said. (INN)