HC dismisses plea for additional conditions for Naidu’s interim bail

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday refused to impose new conditions for interim bail granted to former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in the alleged skill development scam case.

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday refused to impose new conditions for interim bail granted to former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in the alleged skill development scam case.

A single judge bench of Justice Mallikarjuna Rao pronounced the orders on the petition of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) to impose additional conditions on the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo’s interim bail.

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On October 31, the High Court had granted interim bail to Naidu for four weeks on health grounds. And on the same day, he walked out of the Rajahmundry Jail, where he was lodged for 52 days.

While granting bail, the court had imposed certain conditions. However, the CID later filed a petition seeking additional conditions.

The court dismissed the CID’s petition to keep two DSP-rank officers with Naidu and report to the court on what was happening. The CID counsel and additional advocate general Ponnavolu Sudhakar had submitted to the court that Naidu had already started violating the conditions imposed by the HC for the bail.

He told the court Naidu held a political rally while going from Rajahmundry central prison to his home in Vundavalli by road and addressed the media outside the prison premises soon after his release.

He submitted evidence on these violations to the court, in the pen drive.

The CID wanted two police officers to follow Naidu. The court, however, asked counsel to keep tab on Naidu with the help of the state’s intelligence wing. Naidu’s counsel Dammalapati Srinivas had argued that imposing additional conditions on Naidu would lead to a breach of his fundamental rights.

He denied that Naidu violated interim bail conditions.

Dismissing the CID’s petition for additional conditions, the court ruled that the conditions imposed while granting interim bail will continue. Naidu has been barred from speaking to media on the case and also from participating in any political rally.