Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been remanded to judicial custody for a period of 14 days in connection with a ₹371 crore corruption scandal. The case revolves around the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation, which was established during Naidu’s tenure when his Telugu Desam Party was in power.
Chandrababu Naidu was presented before an anti-corruption court in Vijayawada under tight security measures before being escorted to the Rajahmundry jail. The veteran politician vehemently protested his innocence in court, asserting that he had been falsely implicated for political gains and highlighting legal technicalities to assert his position of “no well-founded accusation.”
Naidu’s legal team argued that since he held the position of Chief Minister at the time of the alleged offenses, the authority to investigate a “public servant in discharge of official duties” should have been granted by “the person who removes the Chief Minister from office, i.e., the Governor of Andhra Pradesh.” They contended that this procedural step was not followed, resulting in a statutory violation that warranted the rejection of the remand request.
The former Chief Minister, whom police have labeled the “prime conspirator and beneficiary” of the alleged corruption scheme, also reportedly refused a helicopter offer to transport him from Nandyal, where he was arrested, to the Vijayawada court. Instead, he chose to travel by road, leading to allegations of obstructions by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supporters and “intimidation of law officials by virtue of his position.”
Throughout the interrogation, Naidu was described as non-cooperative, offering vague and forgetful responses to questions based on the evidence files. Despite this, the remand report acknowledged that Naidu posed no flight risk.
The Skill Development Corporation scam centers on funds allocated to the Department of Skill Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the 2015-16 budget. Investigations revealed serious irregularities, including the government providing a ₹371 crore advance to private entities before any expenditures were incurred. Most of these funds were allegedly diverted to shell companies through fabricated invoices, with no corresponding delivery or sale of goods mentioned in the invoices.
Officials also claim that senior government officials, including then chief secretary IYR Krishna Rao, noted objections to the advance release of funds to Design Tech, indicating that this action was carried out at the direction of N Chandrababu Naidu.
Sources By Agencies
