Amaravati: Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has written to ACB Court alleging security lapses in the Rajamahendravaram Central Jail where he is currently lodged. Earlier Naidu himself had raised concerns before the ACB judge over his safety inside the jail.
In a three-page letter written to the ACB judge on October 25, Naidu claimed that his life is in danger due to poor security measures in the jail. He said that the Left wing extremists were plotting to kill him and a letter in this regard has already been received by the SP. He expressed serious concerns over his health and safety. He stated that even the lives of his family members are at risk.
Deliberating on the recent untoward incidents that occurred in and around the Rajamahendravaram Central Jail, Naidu wrote after being sent to judicial remand on September 10 he was brought to the jail on the intervening night of September 10 and 11. "I was videographed and photographed while entering the prison as well as inside the prison complex, which is against the law. The said footage was leaked out by the police themselves. These images were widely circulated/publicised on social media platforms by the ruling party with a malicious intention to damage my reputation and image in the eyes of the people, thereby putting my life in danger," he wrote.
He said that an anonymous letter was received by the Superintendent of Police (SP), East Godavari, and the jail authorities stating that some left-wing extremists were planning to assassinate me and crores of rupees were exchanged to execute it. The police officers till now have not made any attempt to enquire about the veracity of the said letter nor have they taken any steps to avert any unforeseen incident, he alleged.
He alleged that a remand prisoner in an NDPS case from S Kota was roaming inside the prison with a pen camera, capturing pictures of prisoners and also a drone was flown by some unidentified miscreants to capture his movements. "The drone came near the open jail where some prisoners were lodged. Despite this alarming incident, the local police have not taken any step till now to unearth the truth or nab the mastermind behind it. This incident exposes that the jail authorities are helpless," he added.
Naidu said that 'ganja' packets were thrown into the prison by some miscreants and they were caught red-handed by some of the prisoners who were in the gardening work. Out of the total prisoners, 2200 are lodged inside the prison of which, 750 are involved in alleged NDPS offences posing a grave threat to his security, he said.
The former chief minister alleged that another drone was flown over the main gate of the Central Prison on October 6 to capture the images of his family members while they were leaving after meeting him putting their lives at risk as well.
He alleged that in the last four and a half years ruling party cadres with support of the police tried to physically attack him several times. He said that the state government scaled down his security cover after coming to power and it was restored following intervention of the high court. During his Amaravati tour on November 28, 2019, ruling party cadres allegedly pelted stones, shoes and other objects at his bus but the DGP termed it as expression of democratic dissent, he wrote.
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In another incident on November 4, 2022 when he visited Nandigama in NTR District, stones were allegedly hurled at him and his Chief Security Officer sustained injuries, he added. A similar incident of stone pelting occurred on April 21 during a tour to Yerragondapalem in Prakasam district and on August 4, during a tour to Annamayya, YSRCP cadre organised a protest in Angallu Junction by wearing black clothes, he wrote.
He said that despite complaining about the unruly activities of the ruling party leaders and their activists to the police, no action has been taken against them till now. All the aforementioned incidents bring to the fore the lapses in the security, he alleged.
