Justice K. Sreenivasa Reddy of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on September 13 (Wednesday) restrained the A.P. Crime Investigation Department (CID) from taking former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu into custody in the ‘skill development project scam’ case till September 18 (Monday).
The directive was in response to a petition filed by Mr. Naidu seeking the quashing of the FIR registered against him, and also the remand order issued by the Vijayawada ACB Court on September 10.
Accordingly, the High Court directed the ACB Court not to hear the petition filed by the CID for obtaining Mr. Naidu’s custody up to September 18, and adjourned the case for further hearing to September 19. The petition was scheduled to be heard on September 13.
In his quash petition, Mr. Naidu said he was implicated as Accused No. 37 in the FIR for the alleged offences punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (PC Act). He said that his name had initially not figured in the FIR, but was added subsequently.
Mr. Naidu pointed out that his name had come into picture in 2022 after an accused gave a statement about the alleged swindling of funds of the A.P. State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) through some shell companies.
The fact was that the APSSDC and Siemens Industry Software India Pvt. Ltd. (SIEMENS) had signed an MoU in 2017 for establishing Centres of Excellence, technical skill development institutions and skill development centres in pursuance of G.O. Ms. No.4, he said.
Therefore, APSSDC Chairman K. Ajay Reddy’s complaint was against SIEMENS, DesignTech and other companies, and there “is absolutely no mention of my name or role,” Mr. Naidu said.
He further stated that the CID “suddenly felt on September 8, 2023 that his arrest was necessary.” The sole aim of the State was to implicate me in a false criminal case with political motives, Mr. Naidu charged.
He also contended that the ACB Court had issued the remand order without taking into account the fact that the CID proceeded against him without obtaining prior approval of the Governor in compliance with Section 17(A) of the PC Act.
Inner Ring Road case
Meanwhile, the High Court also posted Mr. Naidu’s petition for bail in the Amaravati Inner Ring Road (IRR) case for hearing to September 19.
This case pertained to a complaint lodged by YSR Congress Party’s Mangalagiri MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy with the CID that Mr. Naidu, along with P. Narayana, who was Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development, and others had committed irregularities in the alignment of the IRR.
