New Delhi: Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu was on Saturday arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), in connection with corruption in the skill development scam case. TDP MLA and former minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao and his son, Ganta Raviteja, were also arrested in the case. Chandrababu Naidu said he had done nothing wrong.
Chandrababu Naidu has been named as accused number 1 in the Andhra Pradesh skill development scam case, which involves over Rs 371 crore. He allegedly masterminded the scam under the guise of the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) to train unemployed youth in the state.
“I’m requesting both the people and the cadres, I haven’t done anything wrong today. But officials came last night and without even showing any proof, they arrested me. I asked them the basis for my arrest and demanded proof of concept. Now they are here with an FIR which doesn’t have any mention of my role in it, or any more details. This is very sad and wrong,” he said, according to India Today.
“For the past 45 years, I have selflessly served Telugu people. I am prepared to sacrifice my life to safeguard the interests of the Telugu people. No force on earth can stop me from serving Telugu people,” Chandrababu Naidu wrote on X.
A First Information Report (FIR) in the case was lodged in 2021.
Details of the FIR and other details were provided to Chandrababu Naidu’s advocates, who also demanded prima facie evidence, pointing out that the former chief minister’s name was not mentioned in the FIR report. Responding to the advocates, the police officials assured them of providing all details in the remand report within 24 hours. According to the details, Chandrababu Naidu was to be shifted to Nandyal Hospital for a medical examination. However, his medical check-up was conducted at a camp after he refused to go to the hospital.
The former Andhra Pradesh chief minister will be produced before a special court in Vijayawada on Saturday evening, CID additional DG N Sanjay said.
An arrest warrant for Chandrababu Naidu was served under Section 50 (1) (2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in the wee hours of Saturday, as the former chief minister was resting in his vanity van following a public address in Andra Pradesh’s Nandyala city, the report added.
Sections imposed against Naidu are non-bailable.
