Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu got a huge relief in the Supreme Court as a bench headed by Justice Bela Trivedi dismissed the petition filed by the previous YS Jaganmohan Reddy government seeking to cancel his bail in the Skill Development Case.
Mukul Rohatgi, the lawyer representing the state government, said that a charge sheet has already been filed in this case. Justice Bela Trivedi revealed that there is no need to interfere in the bail cancellation petition since the charge sheet has been filed. In November 2023, the AP High Court granted bail to Chandrababu. However, the then state government filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking cancellation of the bail.
The bench today issued orders dismissing the bail cancellation petition filed by the state government. The Supreme Court has advised Chandrababu Naidu to cooperate with the investigation if necessary.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court expressed its strong anger at Swarnandhra Patrika journalist Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who filed an interlocutory application seeking to cancel Chandrababu Naidu’s bail. Who are you, what is your connection, and what is your qualification to file a PIL?, the Apex Court asked.
The bench questioned why there would be a third party in bail matters? Justice Bela Trivedi expressed his anger at how a petition could be filed in unrelated bail matters? The court reprimanded the journalist, saying, “What is your connection with this case? Why did you interfere in it?” The bench warned the journalist that if this happens again, there will be serious consequences. The interlocutory application was dismissed.
The Supreme Court upheld the bail granted to Chandrababu by the AP High Court in the Skill case. Meanwhile, it is known that the previous government had fabricated an illegal case against Chandrababu, who was a former CM, in the AP Skill Development case and even sent him to jail. The case has been under investigation since then.
Arguments were held in the Supreme Court on this. The then government did not mention that a single rupee was involved in corruption in the Skill Development case. It deliberately and conspiratorially filed the corruption case against Chandrababu Naidu as part of a political faction.