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Andhra Pradesh HC grants Chandrababu Naidu 4-week interim bail on health grounds
The high court asked Naidu to surrender himself before the superintendent of Rajahmundry Central Prison on or before 5 pm on November 28
Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh high court on Tuesday granted a four-week interim bail to Telugu Desam Party president and former chief minster N Chandrababu Naidu on health grounds.
Naidu has been lodged in the Rajahmundry central prison since September 10, a day after he was arrested by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) in the multi-crore skill development corporation scam and was remanded to judicial custody by the Special Court for the ACB cases in Vijayawada.
The high court asked Naidu to surrender himself before the superintendent of Rajahmundry Central Prison on or before 5 pm on November 28.
In his 16-page order, which was reviewed by HT, the high court bench headed by Justice Tallapragada Mallikarjuna Rao said in view of the health condition of Naidu, who is suffering from specific ailments that demand medical attention, particularly regarding his right eye, he is entitled to interim bail on medical grounds for four weeks, starting Tuesday.
The judge directed that the TDP chief shall furnish a bail bond for ₹1 lakh with two sureties of the like amount to the satisfaction of the trial court. “He shall get himself examined and treated at a hospital of his choice at his expenses,” he said.
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Justice Rao asked Naidu to provide the details about the treatment given to him and the hospital where he got treated, in a sealed cover, to the superintendent of the Rajahmundry central jail at the time of surrender and the latter, in turn, shall forward the sealed cover intact to the trial court.
The judge also directed that the TDP chief shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat, or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the court or any other authority.
The high court bench deferred the hearing on Naidu’s petition for regular bail in the skill development scam case until November 10.
According to a senior TDP leader, Naidu’s lawyers would present the bail papers before the Rajahmundry jail authorities in the afternoon and he is expected to be released by 4 pm.
Party sources said arrangements are being made to shift Naidu to Hyderabad in a special flight for admission to L V Prasad Eye Hospital for a cataract surgery. His son Nara Lokesh and daughter-in-law Nara Brahmani reached Rajahmundry to oversee the arrangements.
Commandoes from the NSG commandoes have reached Rajahmundry to provide security arrangements for Naidu after his release and accompany him to Hyderabad.
