New Delhi: In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court of India has adjourned the hearing of the anticipatory bail plea filed by former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu in connection with the ongoing FiberNet scam investigation in the state.
The court provided Naidu with temporary relief by assuring that he would not be arrested by the state crime investigation department, despite the issuance of a production warrant. A bench consisting of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi presided over the proceedings, considering Naidu's special leave petition challenging the Andhra Pradesh High Court's earlier refusal to grant him anticipatory bail.
During the previous court appearance, the Supreme Court not only issued a notice but also expressed concerns over the possibility of Naidu's imminent arrest, prompting the court to instruct the State of Andhra Pradesh police to refrain from taking any action. Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra highlighted that a warrant had been issued to produce Naidu in connection with the FiberNet case on October 16, adding that Naidu seemed to be caught in a cycle of legal troubles following his initial arrest in the skill development scam case.
Following the court's insistence, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the crime investigation department, assured that Naidu would not face arrest until Wednesday, October 18. However, due to time constraints, the hearing was adjourned, and the arrangement was extended until Friday, October 20.
In addition to the FiberNet scam case, the Supreme Court is concurrently hearing Naidu's petition seeking to quash the First Information Report (FIR) filed in the skill development scam case. Chandrababu Naidu, the President of the Telugu Desam Party and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, has been accused of playing a pivotal role in the AP FiberNet scam, which transpired during the TDP's tenure in the state.
The Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) has alleged that Naidu exerted undue pressure on officials to favour a particular company awarded the FiberNet contract, despite their alleged lack of essential qualifications. Naidu was recently embroiled in this case, which dates back to 2021. Following his arrest in the skill development scam case, the prosecution filed a petition under Section 263 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, seeking a transit warrant.
The State has sought to explain the delay in including Naidu as an accused, citing difficulties in examining critical witnesses and suspected conspirators through digital means. Nevertheless, the former Chief Minister has vehemently asserted that this decision is politically motivated.
This week, Naidu's plea for anticipatory bail in the FiberNet scam case was dismissed by the Andhra Pradesh High Court. In response to Naidu's concerns about the timing of his inclusion as an accused in the case, the High Court emphasised that the investigative process in such complex offenses inherently takes time.
