"Falsely Implicated For Political Gain": What Chandrababu Naidu Told Court

Chandrababu Naidu case: The TDP chief was arrested in connection with an alleged Rs 300-crore Skill Development Corporation scam after a pre-dawn police operation on Saturday.

Telugu Desam Party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who was produced in a Vijayawada Anti-Corruption Bureau court on Sunday morning after his arrest, told the court that he has been falsely implicated for political gains. Citing technicalities under statutory provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and claiming there is no "well-founded accusation" against him, Mr Naidu requested that the court reject the remand report submitted by the prosecuting agency.

Any enquiry or investigation relating to offences linked to recommendations made or decision taken by a public servant in discharge of official duties or functions has to be done after a sanction from the person competent to remove him from his office, Mr Naidu's lawyer argued, citing Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

"The petitioner was the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh when the alleged offence alleged to have been committed and the person who removes the Chief Minister from Office is his majesty i.e., the Governor of Andhra Pradesh and hence the prosecution has to obtain prior sanction of the Governor even to initiate an enquiry/investigation in the above case. Hence, there is a statutory violation and hence the remand has to be rejected," Supreme Court lawyer Siddarth Luthra, who is representing Mr Naidu along with a team of advocates, argued.