YSR Congress chief and Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy's custody has been extended till June 25 ahead of the crucial by-polls in Andhra Pradesh on June 12.
Early this month, a court sent Jagan to a 15-day judicial custody till June 11 after the CBI arrested him in connection with the alleged illegal assets case against him. However, the custody has been extended as the federal agency wants to conduct narcotic test on him.
Jagan was present when the CBI court extended his custody. Meanwhile, the CBI has filed a petition seeking to conduct narcotic test on him. Jagan was arrested on May 27, after getting grilled for about 22 hours by the CBI officials since May 25 in the Hyderabad headquarters.
Jagan and his supporters alleged his arrest as a conspiracy by the ruling Congress. He alleged that CBI has arrested him in order to prevent him from campaigning for his party YSR Congress in the upcoming by-elections.
However, Jagan's mother Vijayamma took the responsibility of campaigning for the by-polls on behalf of him.
The ongoing drama in the state has already garnered enough publicity and sympathy for Jagan and his camp. His arrest will likely benefit his party in the Tuesday's by-elections. The state will go to polls for one Lok Sabha and 18 Assembly seats.
Jagan has claimed that he is being targeted by the ruling Congress, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the CBI in the wake of by-elections, scheduled to take place in the state on June 12. He added that some political parties are trying to put an end to his political career.
Jagan has been accused in a disproportionate assets case in which he claims innocence. He is facing charges of conspiracy for favouring some companies along with his father, the then AP chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy. The beneficiary companies, in turn, invested huge money into Jagan's business in a quid-pro-quo agreement.
