Supreme Court issues notices to AP ministers, officials in Jaganmohan Reddy assets’ case

The Supreme Court yesterday issued notices to six Andhra Pradesh ministers and eight IAS officers accused of passing illegal orders to favour rebel party leader Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, when his father YS Rajasekhar Reddy was the chief minister.

A bench of justices Dalveer Bhandari and Dipak Mishra also sought a response from the CBI over the allegations that the agency had failed to register FIRs against the ministers and officers apparently due to political considerations.

In his petition, advocate Ponnovolu Sudhakar Reddy, said though the CBI, on the directions of the state High Court had registered an FIR against 71 persons in the "disproportionate" case against Jagan Mohan Reddy, it did not name ministers and IAS officers who issued 26 orders to grant special favours to the former CM's son during his father's tenure.

The apex court has issued notices to ministers J Geeta Reddy (industries), Dharmana Prasada Rao (revenue), Sabita Reddy (home), Ponnala Lakshmaiah (information technology), Kanna Lakshminarayana (housing) and Mopidevi Venkatarmana Rao (excise).

The IAS officers who have been issued notices are Manmohan Singh, principal secretary housing; Y Srilakshmi, commissioner health and family welfare; M Samuel, special chief secretary, environment, forests, science and technology; Aditya Nath Das, secretary, irrigation; SV Prasad, vigilance commissioner; K Ratna Prabha, on deputation to parent cadre, Karnataka State as regional commissioner, revenue department, Gulbarga; CVSK Sarma, principal secretary horticulture and sericulture and B Sam Bob, principal secretary municipal administration and urban development.

The ministers and IAS officers had held key positions in the then YS Rajasekhar Reddy government between 2004-2009.