In a setback to TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday dismissed the petition filed by him to quash the FIR registered by CID in the alleged skill development corporation scam.
Naidu was arrested by the CID on September 9 and is now lodged in the central prison in Rajamahendravaram.
In another related development, a local ACB court granted two days of Naidu custody to CID probing the skill development corporation scam.
“The investigating agency, pursuant to the registration of the crime in the year 2021, examined as many as more than 140 witnesses and collected documents to the tune of more than 4000. Profligacy is such an esoteric subject, where investigation has to be carried with utmost proficiency by the professionals," said justice K Sreenivasa Reddy in his 68 page order.
"At this stage, where the investigation is on fulcrum of attaining finality, this Court is not inclined to interfere with the impugned proceedings. The Criminal Petition is devoid of merit and is, accordingly, dismissed, and the consequential reliefs sought are dismissed. Miscellaneous Petitions, if any, pending in this Criminal Petition, shall stand closed,” he added.
This being a high profile case, counsels from either side and the general public anxiously waited for the high court verdict. Supreme Court ‘s senior advocates Harish Salve and Siddharth Luthra argued on behalf of Naidu. Whereas Mukul Rohtagi and Ranjit Kumar, state government’s additional advocate general, Pponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy argued on behalf of CID.
Meanwhile, ACB court judge Justice G Himabindu granted two-day custody of Naidu to CID. The ACB court judge also said that Naidu will undergo interrogation in Rajamahendravaram central prison between 9:30 am and 5 pm. Furthermore, the CID officials have been instructed to present Naidu in court once the investigation is concluded.
CID officials were also directed to submit a sealed report detailing the progress of the investigation. She directed that the list of investigating officers, as well as any related videos and photos, should not be disclosed.
In the ACB court Naidu was presented in a video link. Upon the inquiry of the judge about his well being Naidu said he was being punished without any of his fault. The judge asked Naidu to treat the remand as part of the legal procedure rather than a punishment.