PNS | Vijayawada
In a big setback to TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu in various court cases on Monday, the TDP chief could not get any relief in any one of the cases. The AP High Court dismissed the petitions seeking anticipatory bail in three different cases. The bench headed by Justice Suresh Reddy passed the orders. The three cases were the Amaravati Inner Ring Road Alignment scam case, the AP FibreNet scandal case, and the Angallu violence case in the Annamayya district.
Naidu is currently lodged in the Rajahmundry Central Prison in the Skill Development Scam while the Crime Investigation Department (CID) is seeking his custody for questioning in the Inner Ring Road and FibreNet case.
It may be recalled that AP High Court on September 26 had reserved its orders on Naidu’s anticipatory bail petition in the Angallu violence case. Naidu and other leaders of the opposition Telugu Desam Party were booked for an attempt to murder the police in connection with the violent incidents that occurred in Angallu village in Annamaya district on August 4. The incidents at Angallu and in Punganur town in the Chittoor district occurred when the TDP chief was visiting the region to see the status of irrigation projects.
During the hearing, Naidu’s lawyer P Venkateshwarlu argued that a false case was booked against Naidu.
He said leaders of the ruling YSR Congress party attacked the TDP men during Naidu’s visit. He submitted to the court that NSG commandos protected Naidu during the stone pelting by the ruling party leaders. Naidu’s counsel also brought to the court’s notice that several persons named accused in the case were already released on bail. Earlier the High Court granted bail to 79 leaders of TDP in the Punganur and Angallu violence cases.
Another 30 TDP leaders, including Naidu, have filed anticipatory bail petitions in these two cases. On August 9, police booked Naidu and other TDP leaders for an attempt to murder, rioting, and criminal conspiracy in connection with the Angallu incidents. Chandrababu Naidu has been named accused number one in the FIR registered at Mudivedu police station.
The development is seen as a setback to Naidu and Telugu Desam party. Advocate Krishna Murthy stated to the media that the Andhra Pradesh High Court had rejected the bail petition of Naidu in cases pertaining to cases in connection with the Inner Ring road, Fibrenet scams, and the Angallu rioting case.
The High Court had rejected two regular petitions on technical grounds. The High Court opined that in the Fibrenet scam case, the bail could not be granted as it is in the final stages of the investigation.
Naidu was arrested in a skill development scandal case. His advocate argued that regular bail could be granted to him in other cases when he is arrested in another case and sent to judicial custody. However, the court refused to accept the argument. The agencies maintained that his judicial custody in another case cannot be considered as deemed custody in other cases for granting regular bail.
