No bail, Chandrababu Naidu sent to 14-day judicial remand in corruption case

Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu was sent to 14 days of judicial remand on Sunday by an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court in connection with the corruption case against him. He was arrested on Saturday by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for allegedly playing a key role in the Rs 371-crore Andhra Pradesh skill development scam case.

The case is related to the formation of the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC), which, in 2014, aimed at training unemployed youth and fostering ties with educational institutes near industries like Kia in the Anantapur district. Investigators alleged that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief acted as the "principal conspirator" and carried out a scam under the guise of the APSSDC amounting to Rs 371 crore.

Chandrababu Naidu was the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh from 2014 to 2019. While he was the chief minister, the Andhra Pradesh government partnered with German engineering giant Siemens for the APSSDC project. Siemens was tasked with establishing six centers of excellence.

However, the state government released Rs 371 crore for the project even though Siemens had not invested any funds into the project.

The former Andhra Pradesh CM was arrested under relevant IPC sections, including Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 465 (forgery). The Andhra Pradesh CID also invoked the Prevention of Corruption Act against him.