NIA court again summons Andhra CM Jagan in ‘Kodi Katti’ case

Vijayawada: A National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Vijayawada on Tuesday directed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to appear before it on April 10 in a case related to a knife attack on him at Visakhapatnam airport four years ago.

During the previous hearing, the court had directed the Chief Minister to appear on March 14. He, however, did not appear.

Adjourning the case to April 10, the court asked the Chief Minister to be present on that day. Chief minister’s personal assistant K. Nageshwar Reddy was also directed to appear.

In earlier hearings too, the judge had observed that the victim too should appear before the court and record his statement.

The court on Tuesday examined CISF Assistant Commandant Dinesh Kumar, who was an eyewitness in the case, which is known as the Kodi Katti case.

The police handed over to the court a ‘kodi katti’ (knife used for rooster fights), another small knife, purse and cell phone.

Jagan Mohan Reddy was injured on his arm when a youth had attacked him with kodi katti at Visakhapatnam Airport on October 25, 2018. His security personnel had overpowered the attacker, later identified as J. Srinivas Rao, who was working at the airport canteen on a contract basis.

The then TDP government had handed over the case to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police but Jagan Mohan Reddy had refused to record his statement, saying he had no trust in agencies controlled by the state government.

The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) had moved the state high court, seeking a probe by a central agency into the case. Based on the court direction, the Centre handed over the case to the NIA on December 31, 2018 and the agency registered the case on January 1.

The 32-year-old accused has been lodged in jail since then, waiting for the trial.

Last year, Srinivas’ 75-year-old mother Savithri had written to then Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana that the case be expedited or her son be granted bail.