Hyderabad:
In yet another setback to YSR Congress Party chief Jagan Mohan Reddy in disproportionate assets case, the Andhra Pradesh High Court sent him to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody for five days on Saturday.
The court also dismissed Mr Reddy's quash petition, seeking orders to declare his arrest illegal.
Though the CBI sought Mr Reddy's custody for 10 days, the court sent him to the probe agency's custody for five days from June 3.
Justice B Chandra Kumar, who had reserved his orders on Friday after hearing arguments from both the sides, pronounced it after 3.30 pm on Saturday.
The YSR Congress Party leader was arrested by the CBI May 27 and the next day the CBI court sent him to judicial custody till June 11. He is currently lodged in Chanchalguda Central Jail.
The CBI court Friday dismissed Mr Reddy's petition for interim bail. He had sought bail at least till June 10 so that he could campaign for the June 12 by-polls to one Lok Sabha and 18 assembly seats in the state.
The court directed the CBI not to use third-degree methods on Mr Reddy during the questioning. As per the conditions laid down by the court, the CBI would question the YSR Congress Party chief every day from 10.30 am to 5 pm in the presence of his lawyer.
The officials may question him either at the CBI office at Koti or at Dilkusha Guest House, the camp office of the central agency.
The CBI, while seeking Jagan's custody, had complained that he did not part with information during the questioning for three days before his arrest.
The investigating agency wants to grill him about the investments that were made into his companies by various firms, including a few firms based in Luxembourg and Mauritius. The CBI alleged that Mr Reddy routed the investment through hawala channel into his businesses.
The CBI believes Jagan conspired with his late father and then chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy to dole out favours in the form of lands, licences and concessions to certain companies which made investments in Jagan's firms on quid pro quo basis.
Appearing on behalf of the CBI, Additional Solicitor General Harin P Raval opposed bail to Jagan on the ground that he may tamper with the evidence or influence the witnesses.
Jagan's counsel Ranjit Kumar argued that the arrest of his client was illegal.
The leader's counsel also accused the CBI of arresting his client under a political conspiracy to keep him away from campaigning for the by-elections.