Chandrababu Naidu arrested in corruption case; son Lokesh, party leaders protest

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.

Following his arrest, Chandrababu Naidu said he had done nothing wrong.

“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.

“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.

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.

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 soon be produced before the court.

An arrest warrant to 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.

Sections imposed against Naidu are non-bailable.

Speaking on his and Naidu’s arrest in the skill development scam case, Ganta Srinivasa Rao on Saturday termed his arrest ‘unfortunate’ and said this was a political vendetta.

“This is an unfortunate and shocking state of affairs. Chandrababu Naidu is the seniormost politician in the country and there have been no injustices under his governance. It is very shocking that such a person who has been among the people, has been arrested by the police officials,” he said.

“All of this is done just to see Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s eyes filled with happiness. All of this is nothing but a political vendetta,” he said.

LEADERS CONDEMN, PROTEST NAIDU’s ARREST
Meanwhile, Nara Lokesh – son of Chandrababu Naidu and TDP’s National General Secretary, staged a protest following his father’s arrest by Andhra Pradesh CID.

A video showed moment when Nara Lokesh was stopped by the police in Rajahmundry, while he was going to Mangalagiri, where Chandrababu Naidu would be shifted.

Andhra Pradesh BJP president, Daggubati Purandeswari, on Saturday took to X and condemned Chandrababu Naidu’s arrest in the case.

“Chandrababu Naidu was arrested today. It is not reasonable to arrest Chandrababu Naidu without giving proper notice, without naming him in the FIR, without taking an explanation, without following the procedure. BJP denies this,” a rough translation from Purandeswari’s post in regional language suggested.

Communist Party of India (CPI) State Secretary K Ramakrishna also condemned Chandrababu Naidu’s arrest and questioned the need for the police to create a ruckus in the middle of the night.

“Police can take action by giving advance notice. Why is it necessary for the police to go and create a ruckus in the middle of the night?” he asked.