Rooster knife attack on YS Jagan: NIA court defers case hearing to June 15

VIAJAYWADA: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Vijayawada on Thursday adjourned, to June 15, the hearing in the case of attack targetting YS Jaganmohan Reddy with a rooster knife when he was in opposition four years ago. When the case came up for hearing on Thursday, the judge, who was recently assigned the case following the transfer of Vijayawada Metropolitan Judge V Srinivasa Anjaneya Murthy to the Kadapa court on promotion, posted the matter for June 15.

The judge cited the absence of the NIA advocate in the court besides the commencement of summer vacations for the court, for the decision to defer the case to June 15. The adjournment of the hearing will delay the proceedings further, especially in the wake of expectations that the case might be disposed off, well before reaching the trial phase.

YS Jagan was attacked with a rooster knife, allegedly by Janupalli Srinivasa Rao, a worker in a food joint, near the VIP lounge inside the Visakhapatnam airport on October 25, 2018. The YSRCP chief, who was in opposition then, survived the bid on his life with a minor stab injury on his shoulder.

Meanwhile, the case, popularly known as ‘kodi kathi (rooster knife) case, entered a decisive phase after the NIA recently filed an affidavit in the court claiming that there was no criminal conspiracy involved in the incident.

The premier probe agency also informed the court of its opinion that there was no need for a deeper investigation into the case as sought by YS Jagan, who is now the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

On the other hand, the NIA court has been repeatedly insisting that the Chief Minister appear before it and give his statement as the victim in the case. However, YS Jagan has been stonewalling the directions of the NIA court to avoid his personal appearance in the court, citing ‘traffic issues’ for his decision. He urged the court to, instead, appoint an advocate commissioner to record his statement in his presence.

Even as the case is hanging fire due to procedural delays, the accused Srinivasa Rao has been languishing in jail without bail for more than four years till now as the trial phase is yet to begin in the case. The police on Thursday brought Srinivasa Rao to the NIA court in Vijayawada from Rajamahendravaram Central Jail.

With the court adjourning the hearing to June 15, the police authorities shifted him back to Rajamahendravaram.