YS Jagan Attack Case: Harshavardhan Chowdary Fails To Appear Before NIA 

Visakhapatnam: The owner of Fusion Foods restaurant in the Vizag airport, Harshavardhan Chowdary, failed to respond to the summons of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) which is probing the murder attempt of Leader of the Opposition in Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly and YSR Congress Party President, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on October 25, 2018.

For the past three days, NIA officials have been camping at Kailasagiri police headquarters and questioning witnesses.

The NIA had summoned witnesses from the YSRCP, including leaders and workers who were present at the airport on the day.

Krishna Kanth, an employee working in the Vizag office of YSRCP and former corporator, Jiyyani Sridhar had appeared before the NIA team in response to notices from the investigating team. Similarly, other YSRCP leaders offered to appear before the NIA in 2 days.

However, what has raised eyebrows is the manner in which Harshavardhan Chowdary has gone missing. It is learnt that the probe team had sent notices to his house asking him to appear before the NIA after 15th of this month.

It was expected that he would appear before the NIA on Thursday, but he failed to do so. Not only did Harshavardhan fail to appear, but employees in his restaurant who have been served notices by the NIA as witnesses, also did not respond to NIA notices.

Moreover, with Harshavardhan Chowdary's mobile phone being switched off, it is being said that he may have deliberately gone missing to avoid NIA summons.

TDP leaders have told media sources that Harshavardhan Chowdary was last seen during the visit of AP Finance Minister, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu to the city.

NIA officials have reportedly said that they would decide on the course of action to be undertaken if Harshavardhan Chowdary does not appear before the probe team in the next two days.

The NIA Special Court at Vijayawada is scheduled to hear a petition from NIA seeking handing over of case records pertaining to the murder attempt on YS Jagan from SIT under AP police.

Also Read: YS Jagan Attack: NIA Approaches Court For Case Records