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Chandrababu Naidu gets regular bail in Andhra Pradesh skill development case

The High Court had on October 31 granted a four-week interim bail on medical grounds.

Statesman News Service | New Delhi | November 20, 2023 7:53 pm

Chandrababu Naidu gets regular bail in Andhra Pradesh skill development case

Former Andhra Pradesh CM and TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu (photo:ANI)

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) boss and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu was Monday granted regular bail by the Andhra Pradesh High Court in the Skill Development Corporation case.

The High Court had on October 31 granted a four-week interim bail on medical grounds. The court has asked Naidu to submit a report on his treatment to the Vijayawada ACB court by November 28, the day his interim bail expires.

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Earlier the court has ordered him to surrender at Rajahmundry Central Prison on November 28.

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“With a humanitarian perspective in mind and considering the petitioner’s health condition, this court is inclined to grant temporary bail on health grounds to the petitioner, enabling him to undergo the required surgery on his right eye,” Justice T Mallikarjuna Rao said.

The former Andhra Pradesh chief minister was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on September 9 from Nandyal in connection with the multi-crore skill development scam case, leading to political turmoil in the state with several TDP leaders alleging that the arrest was nothing but a political “witch-hunt” and that Naidu was held on the basis of false allegations.

Besides, the skill development case, Naidu has been named as an accused in two other graft cases– the Fibernet scam case, and the Inner Ring Road scam case.

Andhra CID files another case against Naidu

Meanwhile, the Andhra CID registered another case against Naidu in connection with allegations of illegal licencing of liquor companies by the previous government.

The case against Naidu has been registered under the PC Act 1988. CID officials have included Naidu as accused number 3 in the case.

The CID officers filed a petition to conduct an inquiry regarding the case in the ACB court and the court allowed the hearing on this petition.

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# India

The Kerala High Court, on Thursday, granted bail to M K Nasar, one of the individuals convicted by the special NIA court last year in the case of chopping the hands of Professor T J Joseph in 2010. A division bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice P V Balakrishnan suspended Nasar’s sentence and granted conditional bail to him after considering his appeal against the NIA court’s conviction in the case Considering the prolonged detention and citing the potential for trial delays, the court suspended Nasar’s sentence and granted conditional bail, taking into account that some co-accused with similar allegations had already been released after serving shorter terms. The court noted that he had already spent nine years in jail and that delays in resolving appeals could justify suspending a convict’s prison term. It also observed that other accused in the case had received lesser sentences and had already been released after serving their terms. “The applicant has been undergoing incarceration, at the pre-conviction and post-conviction phases, for over 9 years. Furthermore, the fact that the accused facing the same allegations were earlier imposed a lesser term of imprisonment and have been released after having undergone the sentence is a factor that cannot be ignored. Additionally, the appeals filed by the NIA against the findings of the learned Sessions Judge are being considered in separate appeals, which have not yet been taken up. “There is also the likelihood of delay, as the prime accused has surrendered, and the learned Sessions Judge may have to take up the trial and dispose of it in accordance with the law and some of the original records may be required for that purpose. In view of these facts and circumstances, we are of the considered opinion that the sentence imposed on the applicant can be suspended pending the consideration of the appeal.” The court said The court, however, imposed strict conditions for Nasar’s bail. He is not supposed to provide a bond of Rs 1 lakh with two sureties, refrain from leaving the country without the court’s permission, avoid interfering with the trial or witnesses, and not commit similar offences while on bail The gruesome incident dates back to July 4, 2010, when Joseph, a professor at Newman College, Thodupuzha, was returning from Sunday mass with his family, members of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) attacked him, allegedly in retaliation for a question paper he set, which contained a passage that they claimed insulted Prophet Mohammed was derogatory. His right hand was chopped off in this attack. Nasar was accused of playing a critical role in the attack. Investigations revealed his involvement in recruiting gang members, assigning specific tasks, collecting funds, procuring communication devices, and maintaining communication links with key conspirators.

The Kerala High Court, on Thursday, granted bail to M K Nasar, one of the individuals convicted by the special NIA court last year in the case of chopping the hands of Professor T J Joseph in 2010.