TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu received a great relief from the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The court said that Naidu can be on bail and posted the case for next hearing on December 8.
The court also said that Naidu can participate in political rallies and meetings. However, the court told Naidu not to refer to the skill development case during this period.
The AP high court had granted Chandrababu Naidu a regular bail on November 20. However, the State government challenged the high court’s decision in the supreme court through a special leave petition. The state government opposed the bail and said that the high court crossed the limits while passing the orders.
The supreme court bench consisting of Justice Bela Trivedi and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma passed the orders and posted the case to December 8.
The state government alleged that Chandrababu Naidu as chief minister between 2014 and 2019 took Rs 371 crore from the state exchequer in the name of skill development programme. The money was then routed through various shell companies and was finally paid to the TDP.
Naidu was arrested on September 9 and produced in the ACB court in Vijayawada on September 10. The court had sent him for judicial remand for 14 days which was extended to 52 days. Later, the high court granted him bail on health grounds and told him to report back to the jail superintendent on or before November 28.
However, the high court on November 20 gave regular bail to Chandrababu Naidu. The court said that conditions imposed on him during the interim bail would stand withdrawn and he would be free from November 29.
