New Delhi
The Supreme Court declined Andhra Pradesh government’s plea contesting the Andhra Pradesh High Court’s grant of anticipatory bail to former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu regarding an FIR lodged in 2022 concerning a scam in formulating the Inner Ring Road plan in Amravati city.
Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta dismissed the state’s plea, citing a prior dismissal of an appeal related to the same FIR last year. The bench declined further consideration due to the previous court order. It also asserted that if Naidu, President of the Telegu Desam Party (TDP), fails to cooperate in the investigation, the state has the option to seek bail cancellation. The Andhra Pradesh High Court granted anticipatory bail to Naidu on January 10, prompting the government’s challenge, disputing the rationale behind the delay in arrest as grounds for bail.
The Amaravati Inner Ring Road case involves alleged corrupt practices during 2014-2019 by Naidu and certain officials regarding the master plan for the capital city and the Inner Ring Road’s alignment. The case, prompted by MLA Alla Rama Krishna Reddy’s report and a preliminary inquiry, accuses Naidu of favoring private entities at the expense of public funds through deliberate and fraudulent decisions in the IRR alignment.
