If the Special Court for National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases has its way, YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy may have to attend the ongoing trial in the case pertaining to the assault on him by a canteen boy way back in October 2018.
On Tuesday, the NIA court issued directions to the investigation agency to see that the chief minister, too, should attend the trial on February 15 for cross-examination during the trial.
“The deposition of the victim is very crucial in the investigation and trial. So, the victim has to be present in the court on February 15, when the next hearing will take place,” the court said and ordered that the schedule of the accused’s attendance to the court also be fixed accordingly.
The NIA court examined the deposition of assistant commandant of Visakhapatnam airport Dinesh Kumar, who was witness to the incident when the attack took place on Jagan on October 25, 2018.
Another assistant commandant of Visakhapatnam airport Raghava, who was also supposed to be examined by the court as the first witness did not turn up due to personal reasons and sought more time.
The court directed the NIA to submit the entire trial schedule so that it could cross examine the witnesses in a systematic manner. Accordingly, Jagan also should appear before the court on February 15, the judge directed.
The accused, J Srinivasa Rao, has been in jail following his arrest for allegedly attacking Jagan inside the Visakhapatnam airport with a rooster knife when the latter was in opposition.
