Supreme Court Denies Interim Bail to N Chandrababu Naidu in Scam Case

Supreme Court Denies Interim Bail to N Chandrababu Naidu in Scam Case

VoM News Desk | October 17, 2023 | 11:30 PM IST | Courts & Law | Follow on Google News

Supreme Court Denies Interim Bail to N Chandrababu Naidu in Scam Case .

Supreme Court Denies Interim Bail to N Chandrababu Naidu in Scam Case

In a significant development, the Supreme Court denied interim bail to former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo, N Chandrababu Naidu. This decision comes as the apex court prepares to announce its verdict on Mr. Naidu’s plea challenging the high court’s order that rejected his request to quash the First Information Report (FIR) filed against him in the Skill Development Corporation scam case.

No Interim Bail Granted

The bench, consisting of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi, has not granted the plea for interim bail made by Mr. Naidu’s legal team. The request for interim bail was made by senior advocate Harish Salve, who cited Mr. Naidu’s age and the 40 days he has spent in custody. “I have a request for interim bail. Your Lordships may consider releasing him. If you eventually rule against him, he can go back. In the 2015-16 inquiry, the government’s lament was that nothing came of it. Now, in 2021, they are desperately grasping at straws,” Salve said, emphasizing that Mr. Naidu was wrongly implicated in the case.

Legal Perspectives

Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra, also representing Mr. Naidu, sought interim bail for the former Chief Minister. Senior Advocate Ranjit Kumar, representing the Andhra Pradesh government, opposed the plea for relief, asserting that Mr. Naidu’s bail application is already pending before the trial court, which will duly consider it. The bench clarified that it has already heard the main matter regarding the challenge to the high court’s order and the applicability of section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act in Mr. Naidu’s case, and the judgment is currently reserved.

Section 17A and Illegal Arrest Claims

Mr. Naidu argues that the FIR against him was registered without obtaining the prior approval of the competent authority in the Skill Development Corporation scam case, rendering his arrest illegal. Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, introduced in an amendment in 2018, mandates prior approval from the competent authority for investigations into offences allegedly committed by public servants.

Separate Plea for Anticipatory Bail

Furthermore, the Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for Mr. Naidu’s separate plea for anticipatory bail related to the FiberNet case. This case concerns alleged tender manipulation in awarding a work order under Phase-1 of the AP FiberNet Project, involving Rs 330 crore, to a favored company. The Andhra Pradesh police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has accused irregularities throughout the project, resulting in substantial losses to the state treasury.

Mr. Naidu was arrested on September 9 for alleged misappropriation of funds from the Skill Development Corporation during his tenure as Chief Minister in 2015, leading to an alleged loss of Rs 371 crore to the state exchequer. He remains under judicial remand at Rajamahendravaram central prison.

VoM News Desk

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