VIJAWADA:
Vijayawada ACB Court on Friday extended the judicial custody of former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu till September 24 in alleged Skill Development Corporation scam.
With Naidu’s custody ending Friday, he was produced before the judge virtually from Rajahmundry Central Jail. Judge Hima Bindu extended the custody by two days. When the judge wanted the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief’s views on CID’s petition for his custody, he told the judge that his arrest was unjust. He said he was being subjected to mental torture by keeping him in jail and requested her to protect his rights.
The former chief minister said he was arrested without any notice and merely on the basis of allegations. Naidu said it was unfortunate that he was arrested despite his 45-year-long political career and the development achieved by the state when he was the chief minister. The judge told him that he is in judicial custody and enquired about the facilities being provided in the jail.
The court is likely to pronounce later orders on the petition by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) for five-day custody of Naidu for further questioning in the case. The CID had arrested Naidu on September 9 in the alleged scam which took place when he was the chief minister. The next day Vijayawada ACB Court sent him to judicial custody till September 22. He was subsequently shifted to Rajahmundry Central Jail. The court is also expected to take up hearing on CID petitions for Naidu’s custody in the Amaravati Inner Ring Road case and AP FiberNet case. The CID has sought PT warrants against Naidu in both the cases.
