Andhra: Former Andhra CM Naidu sent to judicial custody for 14 days, CID said- not cooperating

Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who was arrested in the Rs 371 crore skill development scam, has been sent to 14-day judicial custody by the ACB court. Earlier, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had told the court in its remand report that Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu was not cooperating in the investigation. He says that he does not remember some issues. CID had arrested Naidu on Saturday morning in the Rs 371 crore skill development scam.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader was produced before the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court in Vijayawada on Sunday morning amid tight security. According to the remand report submitted to the court, Naidu has been named as accused 37 (A37) in the case. Seeking judicial custody, the remand report said the authorities had arranged for a helicopter to bring him from Nandyal to Vijayawada but the opposition leader had refused.

TDP workers stopped the police convoy several times while bringing it by road, which is an attempt to intimidate the law agencies on the basis of their position. He was questioned on the basis of note files which were part of the evidence in this case diary but he adopted a non-cooperative attitude on all the questions and said that he did not remember the facts. The CID report also said that after reaching the CID office, Naidu was interrogated about his role in the crimes in the presence of mediators. He was granted a break as per his request to consult legal counsel, meet his family members and have food and refreshments. The report said that the TDP chief is not in flight danger. The CID alleges that the main beneficiary in the multi-crore skill development scam is Naidu and his party TDP. The main conspirator of this scam is also the former CM.

Former CM was interrogated for 10 hours

A police officer said that Naidu was interrogated for 10 hours. Before being produced before the court, he was taken to a hospital in Vijayawada for medical examination around 3.40 am on Sunday.

TDP leader met former CM

TDP leader Kesineni Nani and others met former Andhra Pradesh CM and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu in the ACB court ahead of the verdict. Naidu was arrested by the CID on September 9 in connection with the alleged skill development cooperation scam. On the other hand, many voices have started being raised in support of TDP chief and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu against his arrest in an alleged corruption case worth crores of rupees. His arrest was declared illegal. Sridhar Vembu, chief executive of global technology company Zoho, on Sunday expressed surprise at Naidu's arrest. He said, "I was shocked to read that Chandrababu Naidu ji was arrested yesterday. I know him and he has worked very hard to bring many companies including Zoho to Andhra Pradesh. I hope justice will be done. " Vembu said these things in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Resentment among supporters due to arrest

Meanwhile, TDP supporters who had come for a day-long fast to protest against Naidu's arrest were stopped by the police at Kanigiri in Prakasam district today, a party official said. Similar protests were foiled by police in Srikalahasti in Tirupati district and Kovuru in East Godavari district, he said. Earlier, the Telugu Desam Party shared some videos of its foreign supporters protesting against the arrests at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in front of the British Parliament in London. Currently, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is in London on a 10-day personal visit and is expected to return to the state on Monday. Meanwhile, senior YSRCP leader and Rajya Sabha member V Vijayasai Reddy questioned why Naidu should not be arrested for his role in several alleged scams.