Vijayawada: A day after being arrested in connection with an alleged corruption case, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was produced in an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) courtroom under tight security.
Arrested on Saturday from Nandyal, about 300 km from Hyderabad, Naidu was shifted to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) office of Andhra Criminal Investigation Department (CID) after being taken to the Government General Hospital here for medical tests following a 10-hour interrogation, a police official said.
The Telugu Desam party leader’s legal defence is spearheaded by Supreme Court advocate Siddarth Luthra, supported by a dedicated team of lawyers.
Several senior TDP leaders and party loyalists were present at the courtroom to show their solidarity with the TDP president.
CID said yesterday that the former CM was the principal conspirator and “accused No. 1” in the Rs 371-crore skill development scam. The agency claimed that a government order was issued under Naidu’s instructions, intending to cause wrongful loss to the public exchequer and gain to private individuals.
Naidu said he was unlawfully detained by the CID for seven hours and that his bus had been surrounded on September 8, leaving him with no means of movement.
Naidu’s legal team moved to seek immediate production before a court. Hence he was produced on a Sunday.
