 "DA case: Jagan's custody extended, Sabitha appears in court")
The court extended the judicial custody of Jagan and his financial advisor V Vijay Sai Reddy till June 21 and posted the case to the same date while directing all the accused to again appear before it.
After the fifth charge sheet was filed by the CBI on April 8 about the role of Dalmia Cements and other firms in the case of alleged quid-pro-quo deals against Jaganmohan and others, the principal special court for CBI cases here on May 14 issued summons to all the 13 accused, including the then Home Minister Sabitha, Jagan, other individuals and firms, seeking their appearance before it today.
Accordingly, Sabitha Reddy and others accused personally appeared before the court.
The court had taken cognisance of charges under the provisions of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act against Sabitha Reddy, who was named as the fourth accused in the fifth charge sheet against Jagan and others.
The special CBI court judge U Durgaprasad directed the accused, including Sabitha, Jagan and others, to furnish a personal bond of Rs 25,000 and two sureities of like amount to enable their appearance before the court in future, which they submitted through their counsels.
Jagan, presently in judicial custody and lodged in Chanchalguda Central Prison, and Vijay Sai were produced before the court by the jail authorities amid tight security.
As the court proceedings began, some persons raised pro-Jagan slogans after which the judge warned Jagan's counsel saying they will lose the sympathy of the court.
"You will lose sympathy of the court...If such commotion (prevails) again and if your people behave like this. Behave in a cultured manner," the judge said.
Earlier, Jagan's mother and YSR Congress MLA Vijayamma wept after seeing him in the court hall even as Jagan was seen consoling her.
The court allowed Jagan to speak to his mother, wife Bharathi and other family members for one hour in the adjoining room.
Sabitha Reddy is the third former Minister after Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao and Dharmana Prasada Rao to face charges in Jagan's case.
Mopidevi, an accused in VANPIC episode of Jagan case, is in judicial custody after his arrest by CBI last year.
Sabitha and the then Roads and Buildings Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao's resignations were accepted by Governor ESL Narasimhan last month.
The fifth charge sheet pertains to alleged investments made by Dalmia Cements and two other cement firms, namely Eeswar Cements and Raghuram Cements, in businesses promoted by Jagan.
Sabitha, who held the Mines and Geology portfolio in the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's Cabinet (during 2004-09), was charged with misuse of office as a public servant in granting limestone mining lease in an extent of 407.05 hectares in Thalamanchipatnam village of Mylavaram mandal, to Dalmia Cements in Kadapa district in 2008 for 30 years.
Dalmia Cements and other cement firms were under CBI scanner for alleged benefits they received in the form of limestone mines in return for investments in Jagan-promoted companies.
CBI has charged these firms with making investments to the tune of several crores in Jagan-owned entities as a quid-pro-quo arrangement.
Others accused in the fifth charge sheet include Jagan himself, his aide Vijay Sai Reddy, Dalmia Cements Managing Director Punit Dalmia, suspended IAS officer Y Srilakshmi and the then Andhra Pradesh Director of Mines V D Rajagopal, among others.
Srilakshmi, Rajagopal, Punit Dalmia, were among the accused who appeared before the court.
In its four charge sheet filed earlier, CBI alleged that Jagan and his father, former AP Chief Minister late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, had hatched a conspiracy to defraud the government.
According to the charge sheets, the earlier YSR state government granted favours to certain firms which made investments at a very high premium in Jagan's businesses as a quid-pro-quo.