In a major development, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu was arrested on Saturday in Nandyal district by the state police's Crime Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the Skill Development Corporation corruption case.
The TDP chief was arrested at around 6 a.m. in the morning by the CID team headed by the Deputy Superintendent of Police M. Dhananjayudu.
As party workers assembled in protest against Naidu's arrest, heavy police force has been deployed in the area.
A notice served to the TDP chief reads: "It is to inform you that you have been arrested...U/s (under section) 120(B), 166, 167, 418, 420, 465, 468, 471, 409, 201, 109 r/w 34 & 37 IPC and Sec 12, 13 (2) r/w 13 (1) (c) and (d) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1998 of CID."
According to the notice, Naidu cannot be released on bail as "it is a non-bailable offense".
However, the notice added that he can seek bail through court only.
The former TDP government led by Chandrababu Naidu in 2014 in Andhra Pradesh had signed an MoU worth Rs 3,300 crore with a consortium involving corporate giants.
A Government Order was also issued for setting up six centers of excellence for skill development.
In 2017, the tax investigation wing of GST- Intelligence Pune unearthed the scam.
Also during the probe, CID officials found that no tenders were called for the project, and corporate giants who had agreed to establish skill centres had not spent a single rupee from their own resources on the project and instead it was siphoned off a major portion contributed by the government of Andhra Pradesh as its share for the 10 percent of the project cost, amounting to Rs 371 crore. The money was allegedly diverted to major shell companies.
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday said that his arrest was "undemocratic and unconstitutional".
While being arrested by the state CID under the Prevention of Corruption Act in in Nandyal district, Naidu maintained that “the authorities are not showing evidence of prima facie wrongdoing or involvement in the case".
“I am being targeted as I am raising people’s issues,” Naidu claimed.