Skill development scam: SC adjourns AP govt's plea against grant of regular bail to Chandrababu Naidu
Dec 08, 2023
New Delhi [India], December 8 : The Supreme Court on Friday deferred till January 19 next year, the hearing of a plea filed by Andhra Pradesh government challenging a High Court order granting regular bail to former Chief Minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu in the Skill Development Corporation Scam case.
A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma adjourned the hearing after senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Naidu, sought more time to file a response to the plea.
On November 28, the apex court sought a response from Naidu and directed the continuation of the bail condition imposed by the High Court on Naidu to not make public comments or speak to the media about the case.
However, the apex court refused to impose the other bail condition prohibiting him from organising or participating in political rallies or meetings.
The Andhra Pradesh government had approached the top court against the High Court order allowing Naidu's release on bail in the Skill Development case on November 20.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court had converted Naidu's four-week interim medical bail in the case into absolute bail and ordered the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief's release on regular bail, considering his age, old age-related ailments, non-flight risk and other reasons.
The Andhra Pradesh government while seeking direction to set aside the High Court order, said Naidu is an influential person and "has ensured that two of his key associates, including a government servant, have already fled the country.
Naidu was arrested on September 9 and released on interim medical bail on October 31, which is now made regular.
He is accused of misappropriating funds from the Skill Development Corporation, which resulted in a purported loss of over Rs 300 crore to the state exchequer.
On October 17, the apex court denied interim bail to Naidu and said it would pronounce a verdict on his plea challenging the High Court order refusing to quash the FIR against him in the skill development corporation scam case.
