Chandrababu Naidu moves Supreme Court seeking relief in Skill Development Corporation scam

Naidu was arrested on September 9 for allegedly misappropriating funds from the Skill Development Corporation when he was chief minister in 2015, which resulted in a purported loss of more than Rs 300 crore to the state exchequer.

While dismissing his petition for quashing the FIR, the high court noted that his plea was devoid of merit and said the court was not inclined to interfere at this stage when the investigation was ongoing.

The high court had observed that police have the statutory right and duty under the relevant provisions of the CrPC to investigate a cognisable offence.

It also stressed that the power of quashing the FIR should be exercised sparingly with circumspection.

Noting that criminal proceedings ought not to be scuttled at the initial stage, the high court had said quashing the FIR should be an exception rather than the rule.

It had said an FIR is not an encyclopaedia which must disclose all facts and details relating to the offence reported.

On Friday, a local court granted custody of Naidu to the CID for two days, during which he would be interrogated on the premises of the Rajamahendravaram Central Prison about the alleged Skill Development Corporation scam in which he is an accused.

After his arrest, Naidu was remanded in judicial custody for a period of 14 days. Prior to granting police custody, the ACB court on Friday had extended his judicial remand by two days till September 24.