Andhra Pradesh CID takes TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu into police custody

12-member CID team began the investigation on September 23 after the ACB court permitted the two-day police custody of Chandrababu Naidu for investigation into the alleged ₹371-crore scam

Police personnel stand guard in front of the TDP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu residence at Undavalli in Guntur district on September 22, 2023. | Photo Credit: G.N. Rao

The AP Crime Investigation Department (CID) on September 23 morning took former Chief Minister and TDP National President N. Chandrababu Naidu into police custody and began the investigation into the alleged ₹371-crore AP Skill Development project scam.

On September 22, the ACB court (Vijayawada) permitted the two-day police custody of Mr. Naidu for investigation into the scam on September 23 and 24. The investigation is being held in the Rajahmundry Central Prison (RCP), in which Mr. Naidu has been serving the 14-day judicial remand in the case.

The CID team comprises of 12 members, including three DSPs, who arrived at the RCP for the investigation. The investigation team is led by DSPs- M. Dhanunjayudu, V. Vijaya Bhaskar and A. Lakshmi Narayana. The investigation is being videographed.

Counsel support:

One counsel for Mr. Naidu has been allowed to be present close to the investigation site and Mr. Naidu could seek his support for five minutes per hour during the course of the investigation.

The ACB court has directed the CID to produce A-37 (Mr. Naidu) before the court through virtual mode on September 24. Deputy Inspector General (Prisons-Coastal Andhra) M. Ravi Kiran told The Hindu that everything was set for the investigation inside the RCP. The East Godavari police have deployed a three-layer security outside the prison as the public is expected to throng the area.