Amaravati: A serious concern has been raised about the security of Telegu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu, who is still on Maoist hit-list and is presently lodged in the Rajamahendravaram Central Jail, where several Maoists and their sympathisers are lodged.
Also, there are many hardcore criminals, murderers, contract killers, rowdies, dreaded criminals, and drug smugglers in the same jail. The TDP leaders and activists apprehended that Chandrababu's life has been put in danger by lodging him in such a place.
The jail officials have advised Chandrababu not to go anywhere on the jail premises except the barrack assigned to him. The TDP chief, who has been given Z-plus security for 20 years now is now in jail without any NSG commandos, party activists said. There are only four to five prison staff who guard the area with sticks in shifts.
TDP sources alleged that Chandrababu was sent to jail by implicating him in an illegal case of skill development scam only to get rid of him. Chandrababu, who was the then Andhra Pradesh chief minister had survived a bomb attack by Naxals in 2003. After which, the Union Home Ministry provided him with a Z-Plus security. His security cover has continued for the last two decades after being regularly reviewed.
In Rajamahendravaram Central Jail, inmates remain outside the lockup from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The TDP activists have questioned as to whether it is possible to control the hardcore criminals, who are lodged there, with just sticks if any of them turns out to be a threat to Chandrababu's life. Moreover, some of the inmates are engaged in various work of the jail as there is a staff shortage. "What will happen if these inmates attempt to do any harm to Chandrababu?" asked a TDP activist.
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Amid the doubts raised over Chandrababu's security, Coastal Andhra Prisons Department DIG Ravi Kiran conducted inspections on Wednesday morning. He however did not issue any statement on his visit while jail officials termed it as a routine check.
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