FiberNet Case: SC Directs Naidu & AP Police to Refrain from Making Public Statements

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and the Andhra Pradesh police to refrain from making public statements concerning the FiberNet case.

A bench comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi directed senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing Naidu, to advise the former chief minister against discussing the case publicly.

Initially, senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, representing the Andhra Pradesh government, informed the bench that despite explicit directives in the Skill Development Corporation case, Naidu continued to make public statements. In response, Luthra alleged that the state’s additional advocate general had conducted press conferences in Delhi and Hyderabad, discussing criminal cases involving Naidu, which were under investigation by the state police.

The bench then urged both Kumar and Luthra to counsel their respective clients against making public statements about ongoing cases. The bench, currently hearing Naidu’s anticipatory bail plea in the FiberNet case, adjourned the matter until January 17.

On October 20, the Supreme Court had instructed the Andhra Pradesh Police not to arrest the 73-year-old leader in the FiberNet case until delivering the verdict in the Skill Development Corporation scam case. Justice Bose emphasized that considering the reserved order in the Skill Development Corporation scam case, it would be appropriate to address Naidu’s anticipatory bail application after the verdict.

The Andhra Pradesh Police assured the top court on October 13 that they would not arrest Naidu in the FiberNet case until October 18, considering the pendency of his petition related to the Skill Development Corporation scam.

The FiberNet case revolves around alleged tender manipulation in awarding a work order under Phase-1 of the AP FiberNet Project, amounting to Rs 330 crore, to a favored company. The Andhra Pradesh Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has claimed irregularities in the project from tender award to project completion, resulting in a significant loss to the state exchequer.

On November 20, the Andhra Pradesh High Court converted Naidu’s four-week interim medical bail in the Skill Development Corporation scam case into absolute bail. The court ordered the release of the former chief minister on regular bail, taking into account his age, old age-related ailments, non-flight risk, and other factors. Naidu was arrested on September 9 for allegedly misappropriating funds from the Skill Development Corporation during his tenure as chief minister in 2015, causing a purported loss of Rs 371 crore to the state exchequer.