Thaindian News

Hyderabad, Nov 2 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), probing the illegal mining case, has summoned YSR Congress party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy who is alleged to have business links with former Karnataka minister and jailed mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy.

The CBI has asked Jaganmohan Reddy, popularly known as Jagan, to appear before it Friday.

CBI Joint Director V.V. Lakshminarayana told IANS that the notice had been served to the young businessman-turned-MP.

The federal agency, probing the illegal mining by Janardhana Reddy’s Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC), is likely to question him about his alleged business links with the mining baron.

Jagan, son of the late Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, is already facing a CBI probe over his alleged illegal assets.

Janardhana Reddy and his brother-in-law B.V. Srinivasa Reddy are currently in a jail here in the illegal mining case.

According to sources, the CBI officials would question Jagan about the investors in companies Red Gold and R.R. Global and their links with OMC. Jagan reportedly has stakes in Red Gold and R.R. Global.

This is the first time since the arrest of Janardhana Reddy and his brother-in-law Sep 5 that Jagan would be questioned by the CBI.

The CBI may also look into possible links between the cases of Jagan and Janardhana Reddy in the wake of allegations that Janardhana Reddy made investments into Jagan’s firms. These include Jagathi Publications, which publishes the Telugu daily Sakshi, and Indira Television, which runs the Sakshi Television channel.

Staunch Jagan loyalist and legislator K. Ramachandra Reddy is on the board of directors of Brahmani Steels, promoted by Janardhana Reddy when Jagan’s father was the chief minister.

After the arrest of Janardhana Reddy, Jagan had denied any business links with him.

Textiles Minister Shankar Rao, on whose petition the Andhra Pradesh High Court had ordered the CBI probe into Jagan’s wealth, has welcomed CBI summons to Jagan in illegal mining case.

In another development, Jagati Publications vice president Vijay Sai Reddy Wednesday appeared before the CBI in the case relating to Jagan’s assets. The investigating agency questioned him several times last month.