Chandrababu Naidu.
Credit: Reuters Photo
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on a plea by the state government challenging the regular bail granted to him in a case related to alleged scam in setting up the skill development centre.
The court, however, relaxed the bail condition prohibiting Naidu from organising or participating in political rallies or meetings.
A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma said: "Issue notice. Returnable on December 8. All the conditions imposed by the November 3 order by the high court shall continue except the condition of organising or participating in public rallies or meetings."
The court fixed the matter for further hearing on December 11.
Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the Andhra Pradesh government, said no statement should be made in the public domain about this case.
Naidu's counsel, however, alleged that officers of the department are still making public statements with reference to issues that are pending before the apex court.
"If there has to be a restraint, it ought to apply to both sides,” he said.
The AP government, however, said that restraint applies to an accused, it can't apply to the government.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, also representing the state government, asked the court to issue notice in the matter.
The court issued notice and also directed for the continuation of a bail condition ordering Naidu to refrain from speaking about sub-judice matters arising out of this case in the public domain.
However, the apex court declined to impose the other bail condition prohibiting him from organising or participating in political rallies or meetings.
The court then deferred the proceedings until after the delivery of the judgment on Naidu's plea seeking the quashing of the FIR in this case.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court had converted Naidu’s four-week interim medical bail into absolute bail. It had ordered release of the former chief minister on bail, in view of his age, ailments, non-flight risk and other reasons.
The Andhra Pradesh government then moved the Supreme Court challenging the Andhra Pradesh High Court order granting bail to Naidu in the skill development program scam case. The high court granted bail to Naidu on November 20, 2023.
In its plea, the state government contended that the high court, while granting bail to Naidu, had delved deep into facts of the case and had rendered findings that are not only factually incorrect but are also likely to prejudice the court below during the trial.