Skill scam: AP High Court grants regular bail to Chandrababu Naidu

AMARAVATI: In a big relief to the skill scam-tainted former Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu Justice T Mallikarjuna Rao of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday granted him bail in the skill development scam case. Chandrababu Naidu is on interim bail on health grounds at present and he is in Hyderabad.

The High Court after hearing the arguments from Sidharth Luthra on behalf of Chandrababu Naidu and AAG Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy on behalf of the AP CID said that the ongoing interim bail would be converted into regular bail.

The conditions laid down in the interim bail like restrictions on addressing media and public meetings will be removed with effect from November 29.

Disposing of the bail petition by Chandrababu Naidu, Justice T Mallikarjuna Rao of the Andhra Pradesh High Court observed: “This Court directed the petitioner, while disposing of interim bail application on medical grounds, to place the details about his treatment in a closed cover to the Superintendent, Central Prison, Rajamahendravaram, at the time of his surrender. In view of granting of regular bail, this Court views that a direction can be given to the petitioner to file such medical record before the Special Court, Vijayawada, on or before 28.11.2023. 56.

Accordingly, the interim bail granted to the petitioner/A.37 vide common order dated 31.10.2023 is made absolute , and the petitioner/A.37 is ordered to be released on regular bail on the bail bond already furnished by him in respect of this case. However, the condition imposed vide order in I.A.No.4 of 2023 dated 03.11.2023 in respect of his organizing or participating in public rallies and meetings shall stand relaxed from 29.11.2023 onwards.

The petitioner/A.37 is directed to produce the medical reports, regarding his treatment, before the Special Court, Vijayawada on or before 28.11.2023 instead of producing the same before the Superintendent, Central Prison, Rajamahendravaram. The remaining conditions imposed in the common order dated 31.10.2023 in I.A.Nos.1 and 3 of 2023 in Crl.P.No.7951 of 2023 shall be followed by the petitioner/A.37 scrupulously.

“It is made clear that any observations made herein above shall not be construed to be a reflection on the merits of the case and shall remain confined to the disposal of this bail application alone. 58. With the above directions, this Criminal Petition is disposed of. Miscellaneous applications, pending if any, in this petition shall stand closed,” observed Justice Mallikarjuna Rao.

The Court observed that the accused had been outside the purview of the court for almost 22 months since the beginning of the investigation on the skill development scam. The Court took into cognisance that Chandrababu Naidu was arrested by the CID just after filing an FIR.

The Court also mentioned that there was not enough proof that Naidu had affected the case by influencing the witnesses. The Court opined that Naidu would not be in a position to escape from the hands of the law if released on bail and asked the AP CID how it came to the conclusion that Naidu was involved in the scam based on the WhatsApp messages between the Siemens Director and representatives of Designtech.

The onus of verifying the signatures of Suman Bose was not vested with the Chief Minister (Nara Chandrababu Naidu), the Court said, adding that the forensic department would have to confirm his involvement.

The Court, before handing over the bail, had also said that there was no evidence to prove that the then Government had any role in the alleged scam.