Former Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu moves Supreme Court to quash FIR in skill development scam case

Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the first information report (FIR) registered against him in the Andhra Pradesh skill development program scam case..The plea, filed through Advocate Guntur Pramod Kumar, was filed earlier today..The Andhra Pradesh High Court had on Friday dismissed the quashing plea by former State Chief Minister.Justice K Sreenivasa Reddy had observed that the acts alleged against Naidu could not be said to be in good faith and in discharge of his official duties as Chief Minister.Therefore, no prior approval from the competent authority was necessary for investigation into the offences alleged, the High Court had held..Senior Advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Naidu, had brought to the Court's attention that the FIR was registered on December 19, 2021, whereas Naidu was arrayed as an accused on September 7, 2023.Salve had contended that Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act was not complied with, as no permission was obtained from the competent authority. He had argued that Naidu's implication was nothing but a ‘regime revenge investigation’ and that the instrumentalities of the State were being weaponised for using the force of criminal law.Further even if all the accusations were to be believed, there was no prima facie case against Naidu..On the other hand, Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), had contended that the proceedings could not be quashed as the investigation was at a nascent stage.Rohatgi argued that Section 17A was not a bar as Naidu, being the head of the executive government, was involved in a calculated and deliberate scam which misappropriated ₹370 crore of public money.Further, he asserted that there was no need for prior sanction under Section 17A for investigation of offences prior to July 26, 2018, the date on which the the provision was inserted into PC Act..The investigation against Naidu centres around a scheme that allegedly diverted government funds intended for a skill development project into various shell companies through fraudulent invoices, which did not correspond with the delivery of services.He was arrested and later remanded to judicial custody in the matter on September 10..Prima facie case of cheating, forgery, corruption against N Chandrababu Naidu: Special ACB Court