Chandrababu Naidu seeks to nullify FIR through a petition.

Supreme Court to Hear N Chandrababu Naidu’s Petition to Quash FIR in Skill Development Scam

The Supreme Court is set to hear the petition filed by former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desom Party leader N Chandrababu Naidu today. Naidu is seeking to quash the FIR in relation to the alleged skill development scam. The bench, consisting of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi, will preside over the matter. Last week, the hearing was adjourned as Justice SVN Bhatti, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, recused himself from the case.

Naidu’s Challenge to Andhra Pradesh High Court’s Judgment

Naidu has approached the Supreme Court challenging the judgment dated September 22, 2023, of the Andhra Pradesh High Court. The High Court had dismissed his petition to quash the FIR. Naidu was arrested on September 9 and has been in custody since then.

At the Andhra Pradesh High Court, a bench comprising Justice K Sreenivas Reddy dismissed Naidu’s petition. The court noted that the investigation in the FIR, which was registered in 2021, is almost in its final stages. It revealed that approximately 140 witnesses have been examined, and 4000 documents have been collected. The bench, therefore, opined that interfering with the investigation at this advanced stage would be inappropriate.

The High Court also rejected Naidu’s argument that the FIR is unsustainable due to a lack of sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The court observed that allegations of fabrication of documents and misappropriation of funds cannot be considered as part of official functions. Therefore, the protection under Section 17A was not applicable in this case.

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