The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider an application by the Andhra Pradesh Police that former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his son, Nara Lokesh, are making public statements to intimidate government officials and police officers investigating the skill development scam case.
A Bench headed by Justice Bela M. Trivedi posted the case on March 19, giving Mr. Naidu’s side time to file a response.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi and advocate Mahfooz A. Nazki, for the State, said the “situation was very, very serious” and warranted the cancellation of bail granted to Mr. Naidu by the High Court in November 2023.
The application filed by the State drew the attention of the Supreme Court to the interviews of Mr. Lokesh on December 19 last year.
“The contents of these interviews indicate that both Nara Lokesh and Respondent [Mr. Naidu] are taking steps and making statements to intimidate government officers and police officials in order to hamper the investigation of subject crime and other crimes in which the Respondent is involved,” the application said.
It said no prejudice would be caused to Mr. Naidu if the top court cancelled his bail.
Split verdict
In January, a Division Bench of the Supreme Court delivered a split verdict in a petition filed by Mr. Naidu to quash criminal proceedings instituted against him in the skill development scam case.
The Bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M. Trivedi had not intervened in the remand order and registration of offences under the Indian Penal Code against Mr. Naidu, but were divided in their opinion on whether prior sanction from the competent authority, under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, was necessary before levelling corruption charges against Mr. Naidu in the case.
Justice Bose, the lead judge on the Bench, held that prior sanction under Section 17A was mandatory before proceeding against Mr. Naidu. He said the State could still apply for it from the Governor.
The associate judge on the Bench, Justice Bela M. Trivedi, however, said such prior approval was not required in the case.
Justice Trivedi said Section 17A did not apply retrospectively. The FIR against Mr. Naidu was registered prior to the amendment in the Act, inserting Section 17A, in July 2018.
