An Anti Corruption Bureau Court in Vijaywada has turned down the plea by TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu to grant him house arrest. Naidu is currently lodged in prison in a multi-crore corruption case. The TDP Legal Cell on Tuesday also moved the Andhra Pradesh High Court, challenging Naidu's arrest by the CID and questioning the applicability of Section 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent). The court agreed to hear the petition and asked the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government to file a counter. The high court will hear the matter tomorrow, reported news agency ANI.
The lawyers of the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on Monday submitted a petition in an effort to secure his early release from prison and request house arrest instead. The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) Court in Vijayawada conducted extensive arguments regarding this petition.
During the proceedings, Supreme Court lawyer Siddarth Luthra and a team of legal experts expressed concerns about Naidu's security while in prison. However, the CID (Crime Investigation Department) reportedly opposed these concerns, as per the PTI report mentioned earlier.
Naidu had been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by a local court in Vijayawada. As of now, the former chief minister is incarcerated in the Rajamahendravaram Central Prison, located in the East Godavari district.
THE CASE AGAINST N CHANDRABABU NAIDU
Naidu was arrested by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the Skill Development Corporation scam case. The arrest was made due to alleged non-cooperation during the questioning and vague responses provided by the former Chief Minister.
During the questioning, Naidu was presented with queries based on note files that were considered part of the evidence in the case diary. However, he reportedly remained uncooperative and responded with unclear answers, citing difficulty in recalling relevant details, according to PTI. The CID report indicates that these interactions took place in the presence of mediators, and the report was drafted and signed by Naidu himself.
Further information in the CID report reveals that Naidu was questioned about his alleged involvement in the offenses with mediators present after arriving at the CID office. The former Chief Minister was provided with breaks as per his request, including time to consult with legal counsel, meet family members, and have meals and refreshments.
The CID report stated that Naidu is not considered a flight risk, while alleging that both Chandrababu Naidu and the Telugu Desam Party benefited from misappropriated funds, as stated in PTI's report.
In this case, the CID has named G Subba Rao and K Lakshminarayana, former government employees, as A1 and A2, respectively. Naidu has been identified as Accused 37 (A37) in the case.