Telugu Desam Party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has to cool his heels behind the bars of Rajahmundry Central Jail for the entire week.
The state high court on Wednesday adjourned Naidu's petition seeking to quash the case, filed against him by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the multi-crore state skill development corporation scam, till September 19.
The former chief minister moved the high court on Tuesday to quash the FIR against him in the skill development scam case.
He said the entire case was politically motivated foisted at the behest of chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to take a political revenge.
He went on to explain how he had absolutely no role in the scam, as he had taken only a policy decision to set up the skill development corporation clusters, but the agreement and the follow-up actions would be done by the officials.
The high court also ordered the ACB court not to take up the hearing on the custody petition till September 18.
The CID has already filed a petition with the ACB court for the custody of Naidu. The high court has adjourned the hearing of the custody petition till September 18.
It is learnt that the TD is in touch with several top legal teams in Delhi to secure a bail for Chandrababu Naidu, who was arrested by the CID in Nandyal in the early hours of Saturday.
The high court judge said he has to listen to the version of the government and the CID as well before taking any decision. He asked the CID to file the counter and additional advocate general sought a week’s time.
The judge also sought to know whether Naidu had any objection to him taking up the hearing, as he had earlier worked as public prosecutor for the state government, so that the case could be transferred to another bench.
Naidu’s counsel said he had no objection and the case was deferred to September 19.
In another related development, the high court deferred to November 19 another petition of Naidu seeking anticipatory bail in the case filed against him by the CID in the Amaravati inner ring road case.