YSR Congress Chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has withdrawn his petition seeking exemption from personal appearance. He informed the CBI court that he will attend the proceedings in person by the 21st of this month.
The CBI court had earlier directed him to appear by the 14th if he planned to travel to Europe. Jagan then requested permission to skip the hearing or join via video conference, but the CBI filed a counter opposing his plea.
Legal experts reportedly advised Jagan to drop the exemption request, warning that repeated absence petitions might prompt the court to mandate his attendance every Friday. Following their advice, he sought a week's extension for personal appearance, which the CBI court granted.
This will mark Jagan's first in-person appearance at the Nampally CBI Court in over six years. The court has been hearing his disproportionate assets case every Friday, but Jagan has been absent since taking office as Chief Minister.
Before 2019, Jagan regularly attended the hearings, even pausing his Padayatra every Friday to appear in court. After assuming power, he began filing continuous petitions citing official duties to avoid personal attendance.
Even after stepping down as Chief Minister, Jagan continues to skip court appearances, claiming that arranging special security for each visit burdens the state machinery.
Meanwhile, the trial has not progressed for over 12 years, as several accused have repeatedly delayed the process by filing multiple discharge petitions.