J Srinivas, who allegedly attacked YSRCP chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy with a knife at Visakhapatnam airport last year, was released from Rajamahendravaram central jail on Saturday, a day after a special NIA court granted him bail.
He was granted bail by a court in Vijayawada on May 24 on a personal bond of Rs 30,000 and two sureties after spending seven months in prison.
“I had no intention to attack Jagan. Last year, I had noted down a few points on paper to explain something to Jagan and that is why I went closer to him at the airport. However, Jagan was accidentally hit by a knife,” Srinivas told media persons here after he was released from the jail.
Expressing happiness over Reddy’s emphatic win in the recently concluded Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state, Srinivas called himself a “fan” of the YSRCP leader and said he is ready to “sacrifice his life” if proven guilty in the case.
After being attacked last year, Reddy was provided with first aid at the airport lounge as he sustained a minor cut on his left arm. He was later taken to Omega Hospital in Hyderabad.
On completion of the probe, NIA officials had submitted a report to the court which released Srinivas on bail.
YSRCP finished the tally by winning 151 seats, wresting power from TDP whose strength was drastically reduced from 102 in the 2014 elections to a mere 23. YSRCP polled 49.9 per cent votes, while TDP got a 39.2 per cent vote share. One seat went to Jana Sena Party led by actor-turn politician Pawan Kalyan.
Reddy’s party also bagged 22 Lok Sabha seats out of the 25 in the state during the simultaneous elections while TDP could get only three seats.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)