Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Chief, N Chandrababu Naidu, was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on September 9 early morning, party leaders claimed.
An arrest warrant was served to TDP Chief in connection to an alleged corruption case. High drama was witnessed at Nandyal as a team of police officials reached the area to take the TDP leader in custody in the early hours of September 9.
TDP president and former CM of Andhra Pradesh #ChandrababuNaidu has been arrested early this morning in the alleged Skill Development Scam case by CID.
Chandrababu Naidu has been named as 'accused number 1, Massive protests in state pic.twitter.com/Lgk3cUXCgT
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) September 9, 2023
As per the party, the police will take Chandrababu to Vijayawada by flight from Orvakal Airport. However, Chandrababu strongly objected to the arrest as it was initiated without showing ‘evidence for allegations’.
Chandrababu said that he would cooperate with the law only if evidence is presented. Before arresting Naidu, the CID took him for a medical check-up where high blood pressure and diabetes were detected, the counsel for Naidu said. “We are approaching the High Court for bail,” he added. Meanwhile, a minor scuffle also took place between TDP workers and police personnel.
The State Police detained TDP leader and party chief N Chandrababu Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh in East Godavari district as a preventive action to maintain the law and order situation in the State.
TDP leaders criticised the police for the late-night action against the senior leader. Reportedly, some of the party workers were detained by the police.
According to the officials, a heavy police force has been deployed in the area under the command of DIG Raghurama Reddy. However, the police have not responded to the party leaders’ questions saying that the remand report contains everything.
“We have evidence. We gave it to the High Court. The remand report contains all the contents. We will give a remand report before taking him to Vijayawada,” the CID officials could be heard saying during the scuffle.
Claims by Chandrababu Naidu on his Arrest
Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu who was arrested on an alleged case of corruption said that the CID made the arrest without any proper information and that they refused to show him evidence.
Talking to media persons ahead of police taking him into custody, Naidu said, I did not commit any malpractice or corruption. CID arrested me without any proper information and I asked them to show the evidence but they refused to show and attached my name to the FIR without my role.”
The TDP chief was taken into custody by the Andhra Pradesh Criminal Investigation Department, in connection with alleged in the skill development scam case. A First Information Report in the case was lodged in 2021. Naidu has been named as accused number 1 in the case, which involves over Rs 250 crore.
Details of the FIR and other details were provided to 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.
The former Andhra Chief Minister has been charged under sections for criminal conspiracy, cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property.
“It is to inform you that you have been arrested under CrPc’s Sections 120(8), 166, 167, 418, 420, 465, 468, 471, 409, 201, 109 rw 34 and 37 IPC and other sections of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988,” the notice issued under Section 50 (1) (2) of Criminal Procedure Code.
According to details, 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. Naidu was taken to Vijayawada from Nandyal through the road. Earlier, there were reports that police would take him on the flight.
(With inputs from ANI)
