The court said it would be appropriate to hear the plea of Naidu in Fibrenet case after the verdict of his plea in APSSDC case was delivered.
Published Oct 20, 2023 | 7:20 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 20, 2023 | 7:22 PM
TDP Supremo N Chandrababu Naidu addressing a meeting at Pulivendula on Wednesday, 2 August. (Supplied)
The Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) will continue to hold its hand and not arrest former chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu in the Fibrenet case as Supreme Court on Friday, 20 October, posted for hearing on 9 November, the anticipatory bail plea of the TDP chief.
A bench of Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Bela M Trivedi posted Chandrababu Naidu’s plea for anticipatory bail in the Fibrenet case to 9 November, as senior advocate Ranjit Kumar appearing for the Andhra Pradesh government, reiterated his earlier assurance that Naidu would not be touched in the Fibrenet case till next date of hearing.
Posting the matter, the bench in its order said, “Let the earlier understanding continue.”
The bench said that since the order on the applicability of Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act in Naidu’s plea seeking the quashing of FIR in the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) scam case was reserved, it would be appropriate to hear anticipatory bail plea of Naidu in Fibrenet case after the verdict was delivered.
Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Naidu, told the bench that Andhra Pradesh police were looking to take him into custody in the Fibrenet case despite him being in custody in the APSSDC scam case.
Countering the argument, senior advocate Ranjit Kumar appearing for the Andhra Pradesh government told the court that he had no problem in awaiting the judgement of the court.
The top court was hearing Naidu’s plea against the Andhra Pradesh High Court order refusing to grant him anticipatory bail earlier this week.
In the last hearing of the matter on 17 October, the Andhra Pradesh government gave an undertaking to the bench that the former chief minister would not be arrested in the Fibrenet case till further consideration of the matter.
Prior to this, on 13 October, the Andhra Pradesh government had assured the bench that it would not arrest Naidu in the Fibrenet case till 18 October.
The bench had in an earlier hearing, on 13 October, said that in both the cases — the APSSDC case and the Fibernet case — the common issue was the prior sanction of the state Governor under Section 17A of the PC Act, 1988.
The bench on 17 October, had reserved its judgment on Naidu’s plea seeking the quashing of the FIR in the APSSDC case as proceedings against him lacked prior sanction of the state Governor mandated under Section 17A of the PC Act.
