PNS | Vijayawada
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu faced intense interrogation by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) as part of its inquiry into the multi-crore Skill Development Corporation scam on Saturday.
A team comprising nine seasoned CID officials, under the leadership of Deputy Superintendent of Police M. Dhanunjayudu, arrived at Rajahmundry Central Prison, where Chandrababu Naidu is currently lodged. The questioning session commenced at 9:30 a.m. and continued until 5 p.m. Prior to the commencement of the interrogation, Naidu underwent a thorough medical examination. The inquiry took place in a conference hall, with Naidu’s legal counsel, D. Srinivas, observing the proceedings from a distance. Naidu is being granted a five-minute break for every hour of questioning to consult with his attorney.
The prison authorities have taken all necessary precautions, including providing access to medication and ambulance services, to address any potential health concerns arising from the stress of the interrogation. For Naidu, a 73-year-old political veteran with a 45-year-long political career, including 14 years as Chief Minister, this experience marks an entirely new chapter as he faces questioning by law enforcement officials over allegations of corruption.
The CID was allowed to question the former CM in the jail premises considering the paucity of time, health, and age of the former chief minister, helping him avoid the nearly 200 km-long journey from Rajamahendravaram central prison to the CID office in Mangalagiri.
Meanwhile, a day after the Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissed his petition to quash the FIR against him in the skill development scam case, the former chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief moved the Supreme Court on Saturday.
The lawyers representing the TDP chief filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the apex court seeking an urgent hearing in the matter. The Vijayawada ACB Court on Friday extended the custody of Naidu for two days for questioning him in a skill development case. The CID custody ends on Sunday.
On September 12, Chandrababu Naidu filed a petition in the state high court seeking directions to quash the FIR registered against him in the skill development scam case. He is currently lodged at Rajahmundry Central Prison, where the state CID officials interrogated him for over 7 hours on Saturday. Naidu was arrested on September 9, for allegedly misappropriating funds from the Skill Development Corporation, leading to a purported loss of over Rs 300 crore to the state exchequer.
