Enforcement Directorate authority summons Jagan Mohan Reddy, others in money laundering case

NEW DELHI: The adjudicating authority of the anti-money laundering Act here has summoned YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy and others in connection with an ED attachment order worth Rs 51 crore.

The Enforcement Directorate, last month, had issued attachment orders against Reddy and his associates in connection with its its money laundering probe and the authority will now confirm or reject the same after hearing both the sides.

ED's special director officiates as the adjudicating authority under the provisions of the Prevention of Money laundering Act (PMLA) and, according to sources, Jagan or his authorised representative can represent his side during the submission in this case scheduled for next month.

A similar exercise will be carried out by the authority regarding a Rs 71 crore attachment order against Dubai-based Emaar Properties and its joint venture Emaar MGF, early next month.

The agency, which has already questioned Jagan extensively in the past few months, had attached more than 13 acres of land of Janani Infrastructure Private Limited and fixed deposits worth Rs 14.50 crore of Jagati Publication Limited as "kickbacks allegedly received in lieu of granting favours" to private entities.

Both the companies are owned by Jagan. The MP is at present lodged in the Chenchalguda central prison in Hyderabad under the judicial custody of CBI which is probing him and others in an alleged corruption and cheating case during the term of his father and the then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.

The ED attachment ensures that these properties cannot be used by the accused and he is devoid of any benefits from these assets, and such an order can be challenged by the accused at the adjudicating authority of the PMLA.