ED PLEA ON JAGAN CASE REJECTED

A Special CBI court on Friday dismissed a petition by the Enforcement Directorate seeking transfer of a case of the CBI to the Special Court of Enforcement Directorate. The case pertains to `34 crore investments into Jagati Publications owned by YSR Congress president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The CBI has charged Jagati Publications under various Sections of the IPC and also under the Money Laundering Act and Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly receiving investments from Madhava Ramachandran, A.K. Dandamudi and T.R. Kannan as part of a quid pro quo.

The ED sought the transfer of case as the Centre has designated the Metropolitan Sessions Court of the city as the special court to try cases under the PML Act and the ED has already filed the complaints in the ED court and has issued summons to the accused in the case.

The ED contended that as per Section 44 (1) (C) of PML Act, the case has to be transferred to the desig- nated court.

The CBI opposed the ED plea stating that the ED court has no power to hear cases under PCA unless and until the Centre designates the jurisdiction under the Act.

Counsel appearing for Mr Reddy submitted that the CBI has issued one FIR and filed 11 chargesheets and ED also adopted a similar approach and said that the ED court has no power to try cases under the PC Act.

While considering the arguments of the CBI, the special court dismissed the plea of the ED.