N Chandrababu Naidu reaches Rajahmundry jail; TDP calls for Andhra Pradesh bandh in protest of his arrest

Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu reached the Rajahmundry Central Prison in Rajamahendravaram in the early hours of Monday after a nearly 200-km journey from Vijayawada. Naidu was sent to judicial custody for 14 days in connection with a multi-crore corruption case. 

East Godavari district Superintendent of Police P Jagadish said that Naidu went in to the prison at around 1:20 am. 

The amenities granted to the former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh include home-cooked food, medication and a special room. Since the former CM is a Z-plus category security protectee, he has been provided separate accommodation inside the jail considering security threats. 

The judge, while ordering his detention, underscored that there were grounds to believe that the accusations levelled against Naidu needed sufficient time and that 24 hours were not enough. 

The remand report stated that as per the CID, Naidu was non-cooperative during the interrogation and said that he did not remember certain issues. Naidu has been accused of misappropriating funds from the Skill Development Corporation that led to a loss of Rs 300 crore to the state government. 

Naidu was sentenced to 14-day custody on Sunday, following his appearance before the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court in Vijayawada in connection with an alleged Skill Development Corporation scam. The former CM was arrested in the early hours of Saturday following a pre-dawn operation at Nandyala. He was arrested by the CID around 6 am on Saturday from a marriage hall outside which his caravan was parked.

Naidu’s son and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh followed his father to the prison gates and waited a while before leaving. 

Meanwhile, TDP has called for Andhra Pradesh bandh on Monday in protest against the arrest of Naidu. The state bandh call has also received support from Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party. 

Also read: Corruption case: TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu sent to 14-day judicial custody

Also read: BJP, Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party slam Chandrababu Naidu’s arrest in Rs 371 crore graft case

Also read: TDP's Chandrababu Naidu arrested: All about Rs 371-crore scam and charges against ex-Andhra CM