Jagan, former Minister Sabitha Reddy appear in court

The Central Bureau of Investigation, probing the alleged disproportionate assets case against YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, on Friday sought judicial custody of former Andhra Pradesh ministers P Sabitha Indra Reddy and Dharmana Prasad Rao.

The central agency sought their judicial custody from the special CBI court alleging that former state Home Minister Sabitha Reddy and the then Roads and Buildings Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao were making statements before media claiming that they were innocent and would come out of the case.

Their statements to media will affect the investigations of the case, the CBI told the court. Both the ministers are accused in the case relating to alleged quid-pro-quo investments in Kadapa Member of Parliament Jagan's companies.

CBI deputy legal advisor Balla Ravindranath filed memos in this regard before the court and also submitted two CDs containing video clippings of the statements made by both  the former ministers before the media.

The CBI apprehended that the former ministers were deliberately talking to media and there are possibilities that it may affect the further investigation and influence the witnesses.

It may amount to threat to witnesses and also hurdle the ongoing probe into the case, the investigating agency told the court. The memos were under scrutiny of the court. The former ministers, who had tendered their resignations last month, had reportedly told the media that "we don't have any case against us and we will freely come out of the case."

Sabitha Reddy has been named as fourth accused in the fifth charge sheet against Jagan and others, while Dharmana Prasad is an accused in the Vadrevu and Nizampatnam Port Industrial Corridor aspect of the case.

Photograph: YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy arrives at the court

Photograph courtesy: SnapsIndia