HC grants 5-day CBI custody for Jagan

In a major setback to YSR Congress president and Kadapa MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the High Court on Saturday permitted the Central Bureau of Investigation to take him into custody for five days for further questioning in the disproportionate assets case.

After hearing the arguments and counter arguments, the High Court Judge Justice B Chandra Kumar conceded to the CBI plea and granted Jagan's custody for five days from June 3 to June 7. While remanding Jagan to CBI custody, the court asked the probing agency to question him from 10.30 am to 5 pm in the presence of his lawyer. He also directed the CBI not to use third degree methods to elicit information from Jagan.

The High Court directed the CBI to produce Jagan in the court on June 8.

Earlier, the CBI sought Jagan's custody for 10 days. However, the court permitted five days custody. The High Court also quashed Jagan's petition seeking orders to declare his arrest illegal.

Earlier, Justice Chandra Kumar, who had reserved his orders Friday after hearing arguments from both the sides, pronounced it after 3.30 pm Saturday.

Jaganmohan Reddy was arrested by the CBI on May 27 and the next day the CBI court sent him to judicial custody till June 11. He is currently lodged in Chanchalguda Central Jail.

Earlier, the CBI court dismissed Jagan's petition for interim bail. He had sought bail till June 10 so that he could campaign for the by-elections in 18 assembly segments and one Lok Sabha segment.