ACB Court grants Chandrababu Naidu's custody to CID for 2 days

VIJAYAWADA: The Vijayawada Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Court has given custody of TDP president Chandrababu Naidu to APCID for two days. While the CID filed a petition for a five-day extension of Naidu's custody for further questioning in the case, the court allowed two days of custody. Naidu would be questioned in the Rajahmundry Central Jail where he is currently lodged for allegedly being involved in the Skill Development Corporation scam.

The authorities would be interrogating Chandrababu in the jail premises itself. The ACB court asked CBI to conduct the investigation in the presence of one or two layers of Naidu between 9:30 am and 5 pm For 2 days. The CID would complete the interrogation on Saturday and Sunday. Meanwhile, Naidu's lawyers represented to the ACB court that they would present the arguments in the bail petition on Saturday. However the judge declined to hear the arguments on Saturday and instead posted the case to Monday. The judge directed the CID to produce Chandrababu Naidu in the court after the two days of questioning.

Earlier this week, the ACB Court had extended the judicial custody of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu until September 24.

As Naidu's custody came to an end on Friday, he was virtually presented before the judge from Rajahmundry Central Jail. Judge Hima Bindu decided to extend his custody by an additional two days. During the proceedings, the judge sought Naidu's views on the Crime Investigation Department's (CID) petition requesting further custody. Naidu said that his arrest was unjust.

He even conveyed to the judge that his time in jail had amounted to mental torture and requested her to safeguard his rights. He stressed that his arrest had been made without prior notice and solely based on allegations. Naidu expressed his disappointment, particularly in light of his 45-year-long political career and the progress achieved by the State during his tenure as the Chief Minister.

In response, the judge reminded Naidu that he was presently in judicial custody and inquired about the conditions and facilities available to him in the jail.

Naidu was initially arrested by the CID on September 9, 2023 in connection with the alleged scam, which is said to have transpired during his tenure as Chief Minister. The following day, the Vijayawada ACB Court had remanded him to judicial custody until September 22. Subsequently, he was relocated to Rajahmundry Central Jail.