HC: Why didn’t NIA probe Jagan attack?

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad high court on Monday directed the central and AP governments to inform it, within two days, as to why they did not take steps as per the provisions of the National Investigation Agency Act 2008 immediately after the knife attack on YSR CP chief Jaganmohan Reddy in the VIP lounge of Visakhapatnam airport on October 25.

Under this Act, the Visakhapatnam police should have informed the state government, which in turn should have furnished a report to the central government. Later, the NIA police should have investigated the case but it is the Visakhapatnam police that are investigating the case.

Both Jagan and his party MLA, Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, from Mangalagiri, Guntur, filed two pleas urging the court to direct the Centre to entrust the matter to an agency that does not function under the AP chief minister and DGP.

Arguing Jagan’s case, senior counsel CV Mohan Reddy told the court that they have no faith in the probe by AP police in view of the irresponsible statements made by the AP CM and DGP. “It is 14 days since we filed the plea seeking a direction from the court to the Centre to rope in NIA. But the state did not send any report even after this,” said Jagan’s counsel.