The court delivered its verdict after the Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissed Naidu's quash petition challenging his arrest
Published Sep 22, 2023 | 6:34 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 22, 2023 | 6:34 PM
TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu at the SIT office of the CID. (X)
In his second setback of the day, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Court in Vijayawada on Friday, 22 September, gave the Crime Investigation Department (CID) two days custody of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu.
The court delivered its verdict after the Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissed Naidu’s quash petition challenging his arrest in the ₹371 crore skill development scam between 2014 and 2019, when he was the state’s chief minister.
The CID sought his custody to further interrogate him on his role in the scam, and that of the other players, and uncover what it called the scam’s conspiracy angle.
As his judicial remand was coming to an end on Friday, the court extended it by two more days and later allowed custody to the CID only by that much time.
The court has ruled that the CID should interrogate Naidu at the Rajamahendravaram Central Prison where he is now in judicial custody.
The court also asked the CID to submit the list of its officers who would interrogate Naidu and the entire exercise should begin by 9.30 am and end by 5 pm and in the presence of lawyers.
The court ruled that the CID should not release pictures or videos of the interrogation and after the conclusion of the interrogation, by 5 pm on Sunday, the CID should produce Naidu before the court through video conference.
Arguments on the custody petition of the CID concluded on 21 September. Supreme Court counsels Sidharth Luthra and Sidharth Agarwal appeared for Naidu and the CID was represented by Additional Advocate General Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy.
Earlier in the day, the court, before it extended the judicial remand for two days, inquired with Naidu if he wanted to make any deposition.
Naidu expressed anguish and pain that he was being subjected to mental agony by being kept in jail. He appealed to the judge to protect his rights and uphold justice.
He complained that the CID had arrested him without serving any notice on him. He said his public life spanned over 45 years and that he did not do anything that was wrong or illegal at any stage.
He said that he was awarded a punishment that was unwarranted, and not considerate of his advanced age. He recalled the measures he had taken to develop the two Telugu states.
He argued that the charges against him were only allegations and that they had yet not been proved. He maintained that everyone was equal before the law and that he was the first person to respect the law.
The judge then comforted him saying that he should realise that he was not in police detention, but in judicial custody.
The judge said that he should not treat judicial custody as punishment as the charges against him were not proven yet.
The judge said that he was sent to remand in accordance with the law.
If Naidu needed any more facilities, the authorities concerned would be instructed accordingly, the judge said, and informed him that the CID was seeking his custody and that his lawyers were maintaining that there was no need for custody.
