IANS

HYDERABAD FOR the second consecutive day, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) grilled YSR Congress Party leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy for over seven hours in the disproportionate assets case and directed him to appear again on Saturday.

Jagan, as the MP from Kadapa is popularly known, told reporters that the CBI sought more clarifications from him and have asked him to come again on Sunday.

A tired-looking Jagan came out of Dilkusha Guest House, the CBI camp office, at 6 pm.

Contrary to earlier speculations, the CBI may not arrest Jagan at least till Monday, when he is scheduled to appear in the CBI court.

Jagan was grilled by the CBI officials for over seven hours on Friday.

Besides Jagan, the CBI also questioned former minister Mopidevi Venkataramana, industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad and bureaucrat K.V.Brahmananda Reddy.

The investigators believed to have questioned all the four accused individually as well as together.

The questioning is all about the Vadarevu and Nizamapatnam Ports and Industrial Corridor (Vanpic) project, promoted by Prasad and the government of Ras al Khaimah, a constituent of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The then government of Jagan’s father YS Rajasekhara Reddy had allotted over 15,000 acres of land in Guntur and Prakasam districts, and doled out other concessions to Vanpic allegedly in return for the investments Prasad made into Jagan’s companies, including the Sakshi media group.

Excise Minister Venkataramana was arrested Thursday for his role in issuing government orders as the then minister for infrastructure and investments for allotting land and extending other concessions to Vanpic.

He resigned as minister following his arrest.

Brahmananda Reddy was then special secretary, infrastructure and investments.

Earlier, Jagan reached the guest house at 10.30 a.m
amid tight security. He was once again accompanied by Congress MP Sabbam Hari and YSR Congress leader Bhuma Nagi Reddy.

The entire Raj Bhavan Road wore a deserted look as police diverted the traffic and posted dozens of personnel around the guest house to prevent any untoward incident.

Police have further tightened the security in Hyderabad following the arrest of three YSR Congress party activists. Police claimed that they had hatched a conspiracy to set afire 100 buses in the city in the event of Jagan’s arrest.

The MP’s alleged supporters had Friday set afire two buses in the city.

Police have also made elaborate security arrangements in Jagan’s native Kadapa district and other parts of the state. Prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or more people have been imposed.