Andhra scam: Naidu gets 14-day judicial remand, TDP calls bandh in protest
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days in connection with a Rs 371-crore scam
A local court in Vijayawada on Sunday (September 10) remanded TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu in 14-day judicial custody in the alleged multi-crore Skill Development Corporation scam case.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has called for a statewide bandh on Monday (September 11) in protest against his arrest. In a statement, TDP AP president K Atchannaidu requested the party cadre, people, and civil society to participate in the agitation and make it a success.
“The Telugu Desam Party has called for a statewide bandh tomorrow, Monday (September 11) in protest against the illegal arrest of Nara Chandrababu Naidu, atrocities on the party cadre, and vengeful politics,” a press release from the party said.
Naidu’s arrestThe CID arrested the former CM around 6 am on Saturday from outside a marriage hall, where his caravan was parked, at Gnanapuram in Nandyal. After an arrest saga of more than 36 hours, the ACB Court gave the remand order around 6.50 pm on Sunday evening.
“It is a clear case of fraud involving Rs 370 crore. The court accepted our arguments,” AP Additional Advocate General Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy told PTI.
Naidu was arrested in connection with a case involving the alleged misappropriation of funds from the Skill Development Corporation, leading to a loss of Rs 300 crore to the state government, AP CID Chief N Sanjay said on Saturday.
Naidu is expected to be lodged in Rajamahendravaram central jail, which is about 200 km away from Vijayawada. However, it is not clear whether he will be taken there today.Earlier in the day, Andhra Pradesh Police swung into action, taking strict preventive measures in the eventuality of trouble breaking out.
Several police personnel were deployed across Vijayawada city, where the ACB Court was about to pronounce its verdict.
“The prosecution has submitted the remand report and we are waiting for the judgment. It is a high-profile case. He (Naidu) is an ex-CM, so all security arrangements have been made,” said Vijayawada south division ACP Ravi Kiran.
Support for Naidu
Notably, several voices, including some from abroad, have been raised against Naidu's arrest calling it 'illegal'. Global technology company Zoho's chief executive Sridhar Vembu on Sunday (September 10) expressed shock over Naidu's arrest. “I was shocked to read that Chandrababu Naidu-ji was arrested yesterday. I know him and he worked so hard to bring so many companies, including Zoho, to Andhra Pradesh. I hope justice prevails,” said Vembu in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Earlier, the Telugu Desam Party shared a few videos of its overseas supporters protesting the arrest at Mahatma Gandhi statue in front of the British Parliament in London.
TDP supporters, who had come out to observe a one-day fast protesting Naidu's arrest, were thwarted by police in Kanigiri in Prakasam district, a TDP office bearer said. Similar protests were thwarted by police at Srikalahasti in Tirupati district and Kovvuru in East Godavari district, he added.
However, senior YSRCP leader and Rajya Sabha member V Vijayasai Reddy asked why Naidu should not be arrested for his role in several alleged scams. He alleged that the TDP chief was responsible for many irregularities which include AP-CRDA scam, AP-FibreNet scam, AP Skill Development scam, Amaravati land scam, ESI medical purchases scam, cash for votes scam in 2016, call money scam and others.
What is the Skill Development Corporation scam all about?
The multi-crore scam deals with money allocated to the department of skill entrepreneurship and innovation by the state, and incorporated into the 2015-16 budget.
According to the CID, inquiries revealed serious irregularities, specifically, before any expenditure by private entities, the then government provided an advance of Rs 371 crores, representing the entire 10 per cent commitment by the government.
Most of the money advanced was diverted to shell companies through fake invoices, with no actual delivery or sale of items mentioned in invoices, officials said.
CID officials have also said senior government officials, including then chief secretary IYR Krishna Rao, made notings in related files. They had objected to the advance release of funds to Design Tech and noted that this was being done on the instructions of N Chandrababu Naidu.
(With agency inputs)
