Tribune News Service
Hyderabad, November 1
A local CBI special court has dismissed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy's application asking to be exempted from personal appearance in an ongoing hearing in a disproportionate assets case.
The court accepted the CBI argument that exemption from personal presence was likely to affect witnesses.
Jagan’s lawyer had said in an application that the chief minister could not attend the weekly court proceedings in person because of his duties as chief minister. The lawyer further said Jagan's coming to Hyderabad to attend a special court for one day could cost the state lakhs for security and protocol.
His lawyer also said there had been no allegations of witness intimidation against Jagan in the six years since the case began. The court rejected Jagan’s application in the past as well on similar grounds.