Y S Jaganmohan Reddy

Personal life

Jaganmohan Reddy was born 21 December 1972 in Pulivendula village of Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh. He received his early education from Pulivendula and Hyderabad Public School. He founded the daily Telugu language newspaper Sakshi and the television channel Sakshi TV. He is the chief promoter of Bharathi Cements. Reddy is a Protestant Christian. He has a younger sister, Y. S. Sharmila, a politician.

Political career

Six months after his father's death, he began an odarpu yatra (condolence tour) as promised earlier to go and meet the families of those alleged to have either committed suicide or suffered ill health on the news of his father's death. The Congress party's central leadership directed him to call off his odarpu yatra, and order which he defied leading to a fallout between the high command and himself. He went ahead with the yatra, stating that it was a personal matter.

Jagan as a president of YSR Congress faced by-election from the Kadapa constituency and won by the huge margin of 545,043 votes.

On 29 November 2010, he resigned, after a fallout with the Congress party high command. He announced on 7 December 2010 from Pulivendula that he would be starting a new party within 45 days. In march, 2011, new party name is announced at Jaggampeta of east godavari district. . Later party went to by polls in YSR Kadapa district and won the seats with huge majority.

On 15 April 2015, YS Jagan started 3 days project yatra to visit Polavaram , Pattiseema, Prakasham Barrage, veligonda Tunnel and other projects. This is being undertaken by YS Jagan to expose the TDP Government’s step-motherly treatment of the all-important irrigation sector and mostly focusing the governments ignorance in construction of Polavaram project and hurry about pattiseema scheme. He Arrived at the polavaram project and researched about the construction work. After his discussion with farmers about the project, He Says, “ the way Pattiseema project is been taken up, in a hurry makes the intention of the State Government very clear, that it wants to make Polavaram redundant." While Polavaram project needs Rs 16,000 crores, YSR has sanctioned Rs 4,000 crores and the officials tell me that during the past 11 months only Rs 100 crores was released. This apathy makes it clear that the State wants to push it in cold storage. Later he visited Pattiseema, Prakasam Barrage and other Rayala seema projects.

Opposition to the formation of Telangana

While in jail, Reddy started a hunger strike opposing the United Progressive Alliance's decision to endorse the creation of a separate Telangana state. After 125 hours of indefinite hunger strike, his sugar levels and blood pressure were down. He was moved to Osmania General Hospital for treatment. His mother, MLA Vijayamma, is also on hunger strike protesting the formation of Telangana out of AP. After his release, Reddy called for a 72-hour bandh protesting the formation of Telangana. Both Jagan and his mother have resigned from their legislatures opposing the Telangana decision

Disproportionate Assets

Y.S.R. Reddy's election declaration of 2004 included tax returns showing Jagan's assets at Rs. 9.2 lakh, out of a total family assets of Rs. 50 lakhs. In April 2009, Jagan revealed total assets of Rs. 77 crores, and by 2011 this has allegedly increased to amount Rs. 365 crore.

In August 2011, the Andhra Pradesh High Court, based on preliminary report by the CBI, ordered a thorough probe. In addition to the CBI, the CAG and the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) have been probing the corruption charges, Later He was arrested and in jail for 16 months.

Evidence for quid-pro-quo and Out-of-norm favours

The evidence unearthed includes direct favours given to companies who invested with Jagan Reddy's companies.

CBI DIG H. Venkatesh informed the Supreme Court that “India Cements made illegal quid pro quo investments to the tune of Rs 140 crore into the group companies of Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy". In return, they received benefits such as permission to draw extra out-of-norm water from rivers and lease of land. However, India cements CEO N. Srinivasan, who is also the BCCI chief, subsequently stated that these investments had returned a profit when Raghuram Cements (later Bharti Cement) was purchased by French firm Vicat.

During an Income Tax raid at the residence of a manager of Dalmia Cement which invested Rs. 95 crore in the Jagan company Raghuram Cements, IRS official Vikram Singh Sharma stated that

they had recovered a pen drive containing the details of cash payments apparently made to Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy in the acronyms of “JR a/c, Sh. JR, J. Reddy acct and J.R. A/C”

The chairman of the large construction firm Ramky Group, which was developing a large residential complex, paid Rs 10 crore to Ms Jagathi Publications (a Jagan-owned company which prints the daily Sakshi). The quid-pro-quo allegedly involved stamp duty and registration fee that were waived as per a Government Order in 2008 . Ratna Prabha, an IAS officer who signed this order, later stated that she had initially opposed the exemptions since it would "adversely affect the revenue of the state", but that she was overruled by the cabinet of Y.S.R. Reddy. The properties of Ramky Estates, worth Rs. 135 crores, has been frozen.

In addition to the CBI and the Income Tax Department, the Enforcement Directorate is also investigating Reddy's assets. As of June 2013, the Directorate has attached Rs.229.4 crore from various firms associated with him, based on evidence that the money was obtained by giving undue favours.

Arrest and 16 months in jail

Jagan Reddy was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on embezzlement charges and his Judicial custody was extended repeatedly as the investigation proceeded.

The Supreme Court also dismissed his petition in 4 July 2012, 9 August 2012, and on 13 May 2013.

Other Congress ministers arrested for issuing orders

In March 2012, the Supreme Court directed the CBI to extend their investigations to six ministers (Kanna Lakshminarayana, Mopidevi Venkata Ramana Sabita Indra Reddy, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, J Geetha Reddy and Dharmana Prasada Rao), and eight senior bureaucrats, who were implicated in issuing 26 Government orders that helped the companies investing in Jagan's firms. Andhra Excise minister Mopidevi Venkataramana was arrested on 24 May 2012.

CBI also summoned BCCI chief Mr N Srinivasan on 7 June 2012.

As a sequel to allegations that CBI had selectively released information to the press to tarnish the image of Jaganmohan Reddy, the Central Vigilance Commissioner sought a report on the matter from the investigating agency.

Charges of political vendetta

The YSR Congress and Jagan's family have been alleging a political conspiracy behind Jagan's investigations. BJP has noted that CBI has been pursuing this case with greater vigour than that of government-aligned politicians with similar charges such as Sushil Kumar Shinde or Vilasrao Deshmukh.

On the other side, the CBI’s former joint director V V Laxminaryana has stated in court that he was being targeted by the YSRC leaders after Jagan's arrest, and that he was receiving calls threatening his life.