Andhra Pradesh HC refuses to stay NIA probe

VIJAYAWADA:   The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday refused the State government’s petition seeking a stay on NIA probe into the attack on YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at Visakhapatnam International Airport on October 25 last. However, the court directed the Centre to file a counter affidavit on the matter before January 30.

A HC bench, headed by Justice G Shyam Prasad, directed the Centre to submit files pertaining to the case and asked it to explain on what basis it handed over the case to the NIA when the State agency, SIT, was already investigating the case. Addressing mediapersons at the temporary High Court on Monday, YSRC legal cell president Ponnalvu Sudhakar Reddy alleged that the government was trying to “water down” the issue by creating confusion with its petitions and said the plea seeking a stay on NIA probe has no basis. 

“The court refused to stay the NIA investigation. Fearing that the truth will be revealed in the probe, the TDP leaders are creating unnecessary confusion,” he said. Jagan, who was touring the State as part of his Praja Sankalpa Yatra, was on his way to Hyderabad to attend a court trial when he was attacked with  a rooster knife in the VIP lounge of the Visakhapatnam airport on October 25 last.

The accused, Janepalli Srinivasa Rao (29), worked as a waiter at a restaurant within the airport. He approached Jagan on the pretext of taking a selfie and attacked him with the rooster knife. Suspecting a conspiracy behind the attack, the YSRC leaders sought a probe into the case by an independent agency. 
On December 31 last, the Union Home Ministry handed over investigation into the case to the NIA. The Central agency lodged an FIR on January 1 based on a complaint filed by a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) official.