Naidu granted 4-weeks conditional bail; asked to surrender on Nov 28

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh High Court has granted interim bail to TDP chief and former chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu in the Skill Development Corporation Scam case. Naidu is in jail for 53 days.

He was given conditional bail for four weeks up to November 28. Naidu was granted bail only due to health reasons.

Andhra Pradesh High Court has restrained former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu from participating in political rallies or giving interviews in conne

He was released today. He has been asked to surrender before 5 pm November 28.

Naidu was asked to furnish a bail bond for Rs.1,00,000 with two sureties of the like amount to the satisfaction of the Trial Court.

"Considering the painful and pressing nature of the petitioner's reported health conditions, and without delving into the merits of the case, this Court is inclined to grant interim bail solely for the purpose of allowing the petitioner to undergo the necessary medical examination. The medical report clearly indicates that the petitioner requires cataract surgery on his right eye. Therefore, it is a reasonable proposition to permit him to seek treatment at the same hospital where he had the surgery for his left eye," said the Court order.

Naidu was asked to get himself examined/treated at a hospital of his choice at his expenses, and provide the details about the treatment given to him and the hospital where he got treated, in a sealed cover, to the Superintendent, Central Prison, Rajamahendravaram, at the time of his surrender, who in turn, shall forward the sealed cover intact to the trial Court.

The court said that Naidu shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat, or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the Court or any other auauthority.

Chandrababu Naidu's son Nara Lokesh and daughter-in-law Nara Brahmani reached Rajahmundry to see him.

Naidu was arrested by the CID in Nandyal on September 9 in the skill development scam. He was shifted to Rajamahendravaram Central Prison. He has been denied bail several times.

A few weeks ago, a team of skin specialists examined the TDP chief after he complained of allergy at Central Prison. He also reported dehydration due to harsh weather conditions.

Initially, the prison medical officer attended to Naidu and recommended an examination by specialist doctors from the government general hospital. Dr Suryanarayana and Dr Suneetha, assistant professors of dermatology, were asked to treat Naidu. The two doctors examined Naidu and prescribed medicines.

Naidu is said to be the prime accused and the lead behind the skill development scam. He is the principal decision-maker in releasing funds.

The Case

The scam is rooted in the formation of the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) in 2014, aimed at training unemployed youth and fostering ties with educational institutes near industries like Kia in the Anantapur district. The project was to be executed by APSSDC in partnership with a consortium comprising Siemens, Industry Software India Ltd., and Design Tech Systems Pvt Ltd. Siemens was tasked with establishing six centers of excellence.

During Chandrababu Naidu's tenure, the Andhra Pradesh state government entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with German engineering giant Siemens. It is alleged that a whopping Rs 371 crore was disbursed in five installments within a mere three months, even though Siemens had not invested any funds into the project.

The MoU stipulated that the Andhra Pradesh Government was responsible for contributing 10 percent of the total project cost of Rs 3,356 crore. Notably, no note files were signed by the then-principal secretary, finance, and the then-chief secretary, raising questions about transparency. Reports suggest attempts were made to destroy critical documentary evidence linked to the scandal.