Andhra Pradesh HC grants interim bail to TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu for 4 weeks in skill development case

The High Court directed Naidu to surrender on November 28. The HC has directed Naidu not to participate in any other activity except to seek treatment at a hospital. The court also directed Naidu not to use or talk on the phone, and not to participate in any political activity or speak to the media.

Naidu, who was arrested on September 9, has been in jail for 53 days. His main bail petition has been posted for hearing on November 10.

Bail conditions

The HC relied on medical reports presented by the jail as well as government doctors to give interim bail to Chandrababu Naidu on medical conditions. A team of doctors also advised several medical tests for Naidu who is diabetic.

Justice T Mallikarjun Rao stated in his order that the Court believed that “a patient in need of medical attention should be granted immediate, effective, and comprehensive treatment”.

“Considering the painful and pressing nature of the petitioner’s reported health conditions, and without delving into the merits of the case, this Court is inclined to grant interim bail solely for the purpose of allowing the petitioner to undergo the necessary medical examination. The medical report clearly indicates that the petitioner requires cataract surgery on his right eye. Therefore, it is a reasonable proposition to permit him to seek treatment at the same hospital where he had the surgery for his left eye,” Justice Rao stated.

“With a humanitarian perspective in mind and considering the petitioner’s health condition, this Court is inclined to grant temporary bail on health grounds to the petitioner/A.37, enabling him to undergo the required surgery on his right eye,” Justice Rao added.

The court put the following five conditions for the interim bail, including a bail bond for Rs.1,00,000 with two sureties of the like amount to “the satisfaction of the trial court”.

As the court said Naidu can get himself examined or treated at a hospital of his choice at his expense, he will have to provide details about the treatment and the hospital where he got treated, in a sealed cover, to the Superintendent, Central Prison, Rajamahendravaram, at the time of his surrender. The jail superintendent will have to forward the sealed cover intact to the trial court, added the High Court.

“The petitioner shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat, or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the Court or any other authority,” said the court.

Naidu will have to surrender himself before the Superintendent, Central Prison, Rajamahendravaram, on or before November 28 at 5 pm.

Support of wife, son

TDP sources said it may take a day or two for all formalities to be completed for Naidu to be released from jail. He is likely to return to his home in Hyderabad for a brief rest before he hits the ground again and addresses a few public meetings.

Naidu’s wife Bhuvaneswari and son Lokesh had raised concerns about the health of the 72-year-old TDP supremo, saying the hot and humid conditions in Naidu’s jail cell contributed to his overall deterioration of health and aggravation of a skin infection.

In Naidu’s absence, his wife Bhuvaneswari had started a bus yatra last week demanding justice. His son Lokesh Naidu also halted his hugely popular and successful Yuva Galam padayatra but said he would resume it shortly.

After Naidu’s incarceration, Jana Sena Party’s (JSP) chief K Pawan Kalyan decided to tie up with the TDP for the 2024 elections, sidelining the existing alliance with BJP in Andhra Pradesh.

As Naidu remained in jail, he had also decided not to contest the Telangana Assembly elections to be held next month, leading to the resignation of the state TDP chief Kasani Gyaneswar Mudiraj in protest. In Andhra Pradesh, all TDP activities came to a standstill as Naidu and senior party leaders grappled with the legal troubles.

On Monday, the Andhra Pradesh CID had filed yet another case against Naidu, alleging he and his government gave permissions illegally to liquor companies. Naidu has been named as accused number 3 in the FIR filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The CID filed a petition in the Anti-Corruption Bureau Court regarding the new case. The FIR was registered on the complaint filed by D Vasudeva Reddy, Commissioner of AP Beverages Corporation, and former minister Kollu Ravindra and are also named. The FIR states that Naidu and others caused a loss of Rs 1,300 crore to the state by removing fees payable by bars in 2016.

Naidu was arrested by the CID in the alleged skill development corporation scam on September 9 and has been in judicial custody in the Rajamahendravaram Central Prison since then.