Andhra: Security tightened at Rajahmundry central jail ahead of Chandrababu Naidu’s questioning

Rajahmundry (Andhra Pradesh) [India]: Security arrangements have been tightened outside the Rajahmundry Central Prison where former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu is lodged in connection with the alleged skill development scam.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court in Vijayawada on Friday extended Naidu’s remand for two more days.

The court ruled that the TDP chief will be in the custody of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) from 9 am to 5 pm during which he will be interrogated.

Naidu will be interrogated in jail on some conditions considering his age and health. The court ordered that Naidu should be interrogated in jail without the need for a journey in view of his health and safety.

A total of 12 people have been allowed to go to jail as part of the investigation. Nine officials along with one videographer and two mediators are allowed.

The court ordered that Naidu should be questioned in the presence of a lawyer but the lawyer should not interfere in the process and added that the police should not apply any third degree during investigation.

Necessary medical facilities should be made available to the former CM during the investigation adding he should be given a break for five minutes every hour.

The court ordered that the entire trial be videographed and also ordered to maintain complete confidentiality on the investigation and submit a copy in a sealed cover.

CID DSP Dhananjayudu led the investigation in the presence of one CI and two gazetted officers.

The court’s decision to extend the TDP chief’s remand came as the previously imposed remand ended on Friday (September 22).

On Tuesday, the Andhra Pradesh High Court deferred bail petition filed by Naidu’s legal team till September 21. The TDP head was represented before the court virtually by his legal counsel supreme Siddarth Luthra.

Chandrababu Naidu was sent to judicial custody on September 10 for 14 days, till September 23, by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court in Vijayawada in connection with an alleged Skill Development Corporation scam.

The case in which Naidu is arrested pertains to the establishment of clusters of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in the state of Andhra Pradesh, with a total estimated project value of Rs 3300 crore, as per the officials.

The agency officials also claimed that the alleged fraud has caused a huge loss to the state government in excess of Rs 300 crore.