A day after CID arrested Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu in a case of alleged corruption, he was produced in an Anti-Corruption Bureau court in Vijayawada on Sunday morning amid tight security. The former Andhra Pradesh chief minister is being represented by Supreme Court lawyer Siddarth Luthra and a team of advocates. Several TDP senior leaders and the party cadre gathered at the court complex.
Naidu was arrested in connection with the alleged Skill Development Corporation scam after a pre-dawn police operation at Gnanapuram in Nandyala on Saturday.
Naidu was taken to Government General Hospital in Vijayawada at 3:40 am for medical tests following a 10-hour-long interrogation at the CID's Special Investigation Team (SIT) office at Kunchanapalli, as reported by news agency PTI. Following the tests, Naidu was taken back to the SIT office even though it was expected that he would be directly taken to a local court.
The TDP chief's son Nara Lokesh, wife Nara Bhuvaneswari and others were waiting at the ACB Court, TDP spokesperson Pattabhi Ram Kommareddy told PTI. "We thought that he would be taken to the court. But they brought him back to the SIT office. Lokesh and Bhuvaneswari were waiting at the Court but all of a sudden the convoy turned towards the SIT office," Kommareddy said.
Wondering whether Naidu would be produced in the court before 24 hours of arrest, he said they were surprised and confused.
'Prepared To Sacrifice My Life': TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu's First Reaction After Arrest
TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu stated on Saturday, hours after being apprehended in connection with an alleged multi-crore skill development scam, that he was willing to give his life to protect the interests of Telugu people and that no force could stop him. During his detention, he urged the public and party cadre to exhibit caution. Naidu was apprehended after an early morning police operation in which officers knocked on the door of the caravan in where he was sleeping.
Taking to X, the former Andhra Pradesh CM said: "For the past 45 years, I have selflessly served Telugu people. I am prepared to sacrifice my life to safeguard the interests of Telugu people. No force on earth can stop me from serving Telugu people, my #AndhraPradesh and my motherland."
"Finally, truth and dharma will triumph. Whatever they do to me, I will march forward for the people," he said.
TDP Supporters, Workers Stage Protest Against Chandrababu Naidu's Arrest In Corruption Case
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders and workers staged a protest following the arrest of Naidu. TDP workers were seen protesting in Amaravati. He was arrested by the CID around 6 am from a marriage hall outside which his caravan was parked.
It has been alleged that the scam led to a Rs 300-crore loss to the state exchequer. The TDP chief has been named the 'principal conspirator' in the case. Meanwhile, the TDP gave a call to its supporters to take part in a one-day fast in every Assembly constituency on Sunday to protest against Naidu's arrest.