On Monday, the Supreme Court of India dismissed a request for an expedited hearing of the petition filed by N Chandrababu Naidu, President of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Naidu’s petition sought to quash a case brought against him by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) regarding an alleged ₹371 crore development scam.
Chief Justice of India, Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, directed senior counsel Sidharth Luthra, representing Naidu, to follow procedural norms and mentioned that the case would need to be placed on the mentioning list for a date of hearing.
“Mention it tomorrow. It has to come in the mentioning list. Please, come tomorrow,” the Chief Justice responded, as Luthra sought an early hearing due to Naidu’s custody since September 8.
Justice Chandrachud clarified that the plea could not be entertained until it was included in the list of mentioning matters, adhering to established guidelines for assigning hearing dates based on case categories.
Naidu’s legal move came after the Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissed his request to quash the First Information Report (FIR) in the case. In his petition to the Supreme Court, Naidu labeled his arrest as an act of “regime revenge and political vendetta.”
The High Court had previously noted that the investigation was nearing completion, requiring no prior approval to probe Naidu’s alleged involvement.
In his appeal to the top court, Naidu claimed that his name was suddenly implicated in the FIR, emphasizing the violation of his fundamental right to a fair investigation. He further argued that his custody was part of an orchestrated campaign to obstruct the opposition party, the TDP, ahead of upcoming state elections.
The petition asserted that mandatory approval under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act was necessary before initiating the inquiry and FIR, as the alleged acts related to decisions made in his capacity as Chief Minister.
Naidu’s investigation revolves around a scheme accused of diverting government funds earmarked for a skill development project into various shell companies through fraudulent invoices, allegedly not corresponding to services rendered. He was arrested and later remanded to judicial custody on September 10.
The High Court, in its ruling, maintained that interference with the proceedings was unwarranted at the current investigative stage, and Section 17-A did not apply to the former CM’s alleged actions, as they were unrelated to his official duties.
Summary:
- The Supreme Court rejected an expedited hearing for Chandrababu Naidu’s petition regarding a ₹371 crore development scam case.
- Chief Justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud advised following procedural norms and listing the case for mentioning.
- Naidu had moved the court after the Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissed his request to quash the FIR.
- Naidu alleged that his arrest was politically motivated, aimed at undermining his party’s chances in upcoming state elections.
- The case involves allegations of diverting government funds for a skill development project into shell companies through fraudulent invoices.
