Introduction:

In a significant legal development, the Andhra Pradesh government has approached the Supreme Court challenging the anticipatory bail granted to former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in the alleged Inner Ring Road (IRR) alignment scam linked to the creation of Amaravati’s Master Plan. The matter, listed for consideration before Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta on January 29, has legal dimensions encompassing corruption charges, political vendettas, and the state’s assertion of a deep-seated scam during Naidu’s tenure.

Arguments of Both Sides:

The State contends that Naidu, along with a former AP Minister, orchestrated a scheme favoring a foreign private entity for the Amaravati Master Plan and IRR alignment, allegedly resulting in personal gains. The plea asserts Naidu’s pivotal role in the scam, manipulating IRR alignment for associates’ pecuniary gains. The State challenges the anticipatory bail, arguing that the High Court conducted a premature mini-trial, returned factually incorrect findings, and Naidu is attempting to obstruct the investigation. Naidu’s defense maintains that there’s no misappropriation shown for personal benefit, and the High Court rightly granted anticipatory bail, considering the absence of a flight risk and the non-requirement of custodial interrogation.

Court’s Judgment:

The legal journey began with the State registering a case against Naidu under various sections, alleging abuse of official position and causing loss to the public exchequer. The Andhra Pradesh High Court granted anticipatory bail, emphasizing the lack of misappropriation evidence for Naidu’s personal benefit and the non-impediment to the investigation by granting bail. The State contends that the High Court delved too deeply into the case, conducting a premature assessment, while Naidu’s defense argues for the legality and necessity of anticipatory bail.