CBI, which questioned the YSR Congress president Mr YS Jaganmohan reddy in the illegal mining case registered against mining mafia don Mr Gali Janardhan reddy on Friday, clarified that  Jagan’s demand to question Chandrababu Naidu doesn’t carry any weight.

Jagan, after questioning by the CBI, said he gave to the investigating agency a copy of the 2002 GO issued in favour of Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) allotting land when Chandrababu Naidu was chief minister and demanded it to investigate his role in the illegal mining.

CBI Joint Director VV Lakshminarayana told the national daily The Hindu in an interview that it was true that Jagan gave them a copy of the GO but it was proved in their verification that Janardhan Reddy was not a director of the company when it was issued. Janardhan reddy became the director subsequently, he told the daily.

“Jagan denied any knowledge about mining leases and told us that he did not influence anyone to sanction lease in favour of Janardhan Reddy whom he met only on three or four occasions at public functions,” Lakshminarayana told the daily.

CBI sources said the actual operations of the 64.20 acre mine started only after Janardhan Reddy took over the mining lease. Jagan was questioned about his association with RR Global and Red Gold companies and about the RR Global chief Sajjala Diwakar Reddy’s investments to the tune of Rs.72 Cr in Jagati and Indira TV which runs the Sakshi channel.