The fate of Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu in the multi-crore skill development case continues to hang in balance, following the split verdict given by a Supreme Court bench on the petition filed by him.
Naidu was extremely confident that he would get a favourable judgement, as he did not move the Supreme Court on the merits of the case stating that he had not committed any crime, which is still pending in the ACB court.
He challenged the high court order on the validity of Section 17-A and had he got the relief, it would amount to quashing the entire case and the ACB court would have automatically dismiss the case.
But with the two judges on the Supreme Court bench giving a split verdict, the case has now been referred to the Chief Justice of India, who will decide whether it would be heard by a three-member bench or five-member bench.
It would take its own sweet time to decide on the issue. Till then, the case will continue to be hanging on the head of Naidu. If the CJI bench decides the case before the elections and if the verdict goes against Naidu, it will be all the more troublesome for him.
Additional Advocate General Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy said the judgement given by the Supreme Court bench, referring the case to a larger bench headed by chief justice of India was a big jolt to Naidu.
“The development has dashed Naidu’s hopes of getting the case quashed on technical grounds,” Reddy said.
State industries minister Gudivada Amarnath said the Supreme Court had not exonerated Naidu in the skill development case and had only focussed on the following of procedure in filing the case.
“Even Naidu and his lawyers argued the case on the applicability of Section 17-A of the Representation of People’s Act but did not claim that he was not guilty in the case. It is pretty clear that Naidu has committed the crime and he has to face the punishment in the people’s court, if not in the Supreme Court,” Amarnath said.