No interim relief for Chandrababu Naidu in SC

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Andhra Pradesh government to produce documents filed before the Andhra Pradesh High Court pertaining to the FIR registered against Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu. Refusing to grant any interim relief to Naidu, the apex court posted Naidu’s plea seeking quashing of the FIR registered against him in the alleged multi-crore Skill Development Corporation scam for October 9.

A bench comprising justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi refused to issue a notice on Naidu’s appeal against Andhra Pradesh HC’s order, dismissing his quashing plea. Senior advocates Harish Salve, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Sidharth Luthra appeared on behalf of Naidu in SC. While senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appeared on behalf of the Andhra Pradesh government opposing Naidu’s plea.

The bench raised questions about the applicability of Section 17A of Prevention of Corruption Act when the offence was committed prior to the 2018 amendment which inserted Section 17A in the Act. The bench also asked if Section 17A is applicable when the FIR mentions not only the offences under the PC Act but also the offences under the Indian Penal Code.