Chandrababu Naidu was detained by the courts after being arrested on September 9th in connection with the purported skill development corporation scam.
TDP leader and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu was given a four-week temporary release in the skill development case on Tuesday by the Andhra Pradesh High Court, citing health reasons.
The former chief minister needs cataract surgery, according to Naidu’s legal representative. PTI claims that the court also extended his standard bail plea till November 10.
(Image Source : Telegraph India)
The TDP chief was instructed by the bench to provide a ₹1 lakh bail bond with two sureties. He will get himself checked out and treated at a hospital of his choosing at his own expense, according to the court’s order.
Naidu is set for release today, according to Telugu Desam Party spokesperson K Pattabhi Ram, who spoke with ANI.
As everyone is aware, Chandrababu Naidu’s health has been declining recently, and the doctors have recommended that he be hospitalized and have eye surgery as a way out, said Ram.
In relation to the alleged ₹3,300 crore Andhra Pradesh Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) fraud, which allegedly occurred during Naidu’s tenure as Andhra chief minister, he was taken into custody on September 9.
Around three in the morning that day, the police arrived at Naidu’s home. They were unable to arrest him because of the fervent protests from his party members. He was taken into jail after roughly three hours.
In March of this year, the Andhra Pradesh Police’s Crime Investigation Department (CID) launched an investigation into the issue. The inquiry was started in response to letters served to former Indian Railway Traffic Service officer Arja Srikanth, who was the chief executive officer (CEO) of the APSSDC in 2016. It was based on the declarations of an accused turned approver and the depositions of three IAS officers.
The APSSDC was founded in 2016 with the goal of empowering unemployed youth and increasing their employability via skill development.
The CID investigation claims that the project’s $3,300 crore memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by the Chandrababu Naidu ministry at the time as per the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding, Design Tech Systems Pvt Ltd. and Siemens Industry Software India Ltd.
Siemens Industry Software India Ltd. was to construct six centres of excellence for talent development. The Andhra government was scheduled to contribute about 10 percent of the project’s total expenses. The two companies would provide grants-in-aid for the remaining funds.
According to a CID investigation, the project was started without using the conventional tendering procedure. It is said that the project was not approved by the state cabinet.
Siemens Industry Software India was accused by the CID investigation of not investing any of its own funds in the project and of transferring a significant amount of the ₹371 crore that the state had allotted to different shell firms. The CID said that money intended for the project was transferred to front businesses.
After receiving complaints, Siemens Global Corporate Office opened an internal investigation into the project and found that the project manager had embezzled government-allocated cash through hawala transactions to shell businesses.
