The Andhra Pradesh High Court has adjourned the hearing in a quash petition filed by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu in connection with the skill development scam case till Tuesday, September 19. The state Crime Investigation Department (CID) has been asked to file its reply in the meantime. Naidu’s counsel had filed a petition seeking cancellation of his judicial remand, arguing that the CID’s case was illegal and should be quashed.
The High Court has also stayed till Monday, September 18, the proceedings in CID’s petition seeking custody of the former CM in the skill development scam case. This means the Vijayawada Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) Court cannot take up Naidu’s custody petition filed by CID until September 18, and the CID cannot take him into its custody till then. Naidu has been remanded in judicial custody by the ACB court till September 22, and is currently lodged in the Rajahmundry Central Prison.
Read: Chandrababu Naidu arrested in corruption case: What is the skill development scam?
The CID had arrested Naidu on Saturday, September 9, calling him the ‘principal architect’ of the alleged AP Skill Development Corporation scam. It accused him of misappropriating funds, forging incorrect documents and destroying evidence. In its remand report, the CID alleged that Naidu, his family and the TDP were the end beneficiaries of misappropriated government funds worth around Rs 279 crore that were diverted to shell companies.
The YSRCP government has alleged that the multi-crore Andhra Pradesh Skill Development Corporation scam took place during the TDP rule, and that the government hastily paid Rs 371 crore in five tranches over the course of just three months.
Also read: CID calls Chandrababu Naidu ‘chief architect’ of AP skill dev corp scam
An Enforcement Directorate investigation into the scam alleged that the government violated the AP Civil Works Code and the AP Financial Code by releasing Rs 371 crore (including taxes) even before the project started and without calling for any tenders.
The funds were diverted with the alleged involvement of the former CEO & MD, along with the director of the APSDC, according to the ED. The officials allegedly drafted the work order for Rs 371 crore without mentioning the 90% in-kind grant provided to the partner companies – Design Tech and Siemens – the agency further claimed.
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