Chandrababu Naidu files bail petitions in court in Skill Development Corporation case

Vijayawada: TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, who has been remanded to 14 days in judicial custody for his alleged role in a multi-crore Skill Development Corporation scam, has filed two bail petitions, interim and regular, in a local court.

In the interim bail petition, Naidu denied all the allegations levelled against him and claimed that there was no prima facie evidence on record against him.

"We have filed two petitions, one is for interim bail and another for regular bail. However, the hearing may not be done today (Friday)," advocate G Subba Rao, a member of Naidu's legal team, told.

Rao said the Crime Investigation Department is yet to file a counter to their bail pleas. Hence, he noted that the hearing may not come up on Friday. However, the CID has been served the notice and is yet to reply, the advocate said.

The bail petitions were filed on Thursday at the ACB Court which remanded Naidu.

Former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu was arrested in connection Rs 371 crore Skill Development Corporation scam case following a pre-dawn operation on Saturday at Nandyala, which involved officers knocking on the door of the caravan in which he was sleeping. He was arrested by the CID around 6 am on September 9 from a marriage hall outside which his caravan was parked. He was sent to 14 days remand to Rajamahendravaram Central Jail.

During an investigation by the AP Crime Investigation Department (APCID) chief N Sanjay, the teams found handwritten signatures of Chandrababu Naidu are present in 13 places, including on forms signing off the release of funds, budget approval, and council meetings related to the Andhra Pradesh Skill Development Corporation.

It is also revealed that the skill development corporation was established without Cabinet approval during Naidu’s regime.

Inputs from PTI