On Friday, the High Court of Andhra Pradesh granted interim protection from arrest to former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy until July 1. This decision is related to a case concerning the death of a 65-year-old man during a rally organized by the YSR Congress Party.

Justice Y Lakshmana Rao issued this relief while considering Reddy's writ petition aimed at dismissing the first information report (FIR) filed against him. The judge instructed the state authorities to refrain from taking any coercive actions against Reddy until the next court session on July 1.

The incident occurred on June 18, when a man named Cheeli Singaiah reportedly died after being struck by a vehicle in Jagan Mohan Reddy's convoy during the rally on a national highway close to Etukuru village in Guntur district.

The convoy was en route from Tadepalli to Sattenapalli, where Reddy was scheduled to meet the family of a party worker who had tragically taken his own life last year, allegedly due to police harassment.

Singaiah was discovered injured by the roadside and was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Initially, a case was filed under a section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita concerning death by negligence, based on a complaint from Singaiah’s wife.

However, after examining security footage and drone recordings, law enforcement escalated the charges to culpable homicide not amounting to murder and abetment.

The FIR implicated Jagan Mohan Reddy, his driver Ramana Reddy, personal assistant Nageswar Reddy, MP YV Subba Reddy, and former ministers Perni Nani and Vidadala Rajini, all of whom were reportedly present in the vehicle involved in the incident.

In his petition, Reddy asserted that the allegations against him were politically motivated and intended to tarnish his reputation. He emphasized that any arrest or coercive measures would inflict irreparable damage to his personal freedom and reputation, undermining the core principles of justice.