AP high court defers hearing on Jagan petition over NIA court’s jurisdiction

Vijayawada: The high court deferred hearing on former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's petition to May 6 for clarification of some doubts raised during the course of the hearing over the validity of the NIA special court order, which refused his request for a deeper probe into the alleged larger conspiracy angle in the attack on him at Visakhapatnam airport in 2018.Jagan moved the high court challenging the order, contending that the NIA failed to investigate the larger conspiracy angle and his petition for further probe was rejected by the special court at Vijayawada without jurisdiction. Arguing on his behalf, senior counsel T Niranjan Reddy questioned the jurisdiction of Vijayawada NIA court while rejecting the petition, as it had lost jurisdiction by way of a gazette notification issued by the Union govt notifying the special court for NIA cases at Visakhapatnam. While the notification was issued on July 24, 2023, the NIA court passed the orders on July 25.Additional solicitor general Challa Dhananjay opposed the argument, stating that the notification only identified jurisdiction and that court establishment was not completed by July 25. He said the court officially comes into existence after it is notified by the high court with the appointment of a judicial officer and staff by the Chief Justice. Senior counsel B Adinarayana, who appeared for accused J Srinivas Rao, also made the same submissions.Considering the arguments, Justice Venkata Jyothirmai Prathama posted the matter for further hearing to May 6.