The Andhra Pradesh police will continue to hold its hand and not arrest former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in FiberNet case as the Supreme Court on Friday posted for hearing on November 9 the anticipatory bail plea of the Telugu Desam Party chief.
A bench of Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Belas M Trivedi posted Chandrababu Naidu’s plea for anticipatory bail in FiberNet case on November 9, as senior advocate Ranjit Kumar appearing for Andhra Pradesh government, reiterated his earlier assurance that Naidu will not be touched in the FiberNet case till next date of hearing on November 9.
Posting the matter for November 9, the beech in its order said: “Let the earlier understanding continue.”
The bench said that since the order on the applicability of Section 17A of PC Act in Naidu’s plea seeking the quashing of FIR in Skill Development scam case is reserved, it would be appropriate to hear anticipatory bail plea of Naidu in FiberNet case after the verdict is delivered.
As senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Naidu, told the bench that Andhra Pradesh police are looking to take him into custody in FibreNet case despite he being in custody in the Skill Development scam case, senior advocate Ranjit Kumar appearing for Andhra Pradesh government told the court that he has no problem in awaiting the judgement of the court.
The top court was hearing Naidu’s plea against the Andhra Pradesh High Court order refusing to grant him anticipatory bail earlier this week.
In the last hearing of the matter on October 17, the Andhra Pradesh government had given an undertaking to the bench that the former Chief Minister will not be arrested in the Fibernet case till further consideration of the matter.
Prior to this on October 13, the Andhra Pradesh government had assured the bench that it will not arrest former State Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu in the Fibernet case till October 18.
The bench had in earlier hearing on October 13, said that in both the cases – Skill development project case and Fibernet case – the common issue is prior sanction of the State Governor under the Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The bench on October 17 had reserved its judgment on Chandrababu Naidu’s plea seeking the quashing of the IIR in Skill Development case as proceedings against him lacked prior sanction of the State Governor mandated under the Section 17A of the PC Act.