The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team of Andhra Pradesh Police is interrogating Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu for the second day on Sunday (September 24) in Rajamahendravaram Central Jail in connection with the Skill Development Corporation scam. The Anti-Corruption Bureau court had sent Naidu to CID custody for further questioning in the case. Permission has been given to interrogate Naidu for two days (23 and 24 September) from 9.30 am to 5 pm.
Director General of Police (Prisons) M R Ravi Kiran told PTI that Naidu has been handed over to CID officials for questioning as per the terms of the court. The two-day police custody and judicial remand period given by the court will end today. The court had directed CID officials to produce Naidu before it through the Blue Jeans app by 5 pm today. The TDP chief was not produced in the court on Saturday.
What is Blue Jeans App?
Kiran said, ‘Blue Jeans’ is an app where prisoners are presented in courts through online medium. The former chief minister will be allowed to take a break during the investigation and have access to a lawyer as per the court order. The court has allowed three deputy superintendents of police from the Economic Offenses Wing of the CID, six junior police officers, a professional videographer and two official mediators to participate in the interrogation.
Due to Naidu’s health, interrogation took place in the jail premises itself.
The court also allowed Naidu to be assisted by a team of lawyers at a reasonable interval of five minutes after every hour of questioning during questioning. Considering the health and age of the former Chief Minister, the court has allowed him to be interrogated within the jail premises itself so that he can avoid the 200 km journey from Rajamahendravaram Central Jail to the CID office in Mangalagiri. Naidu was arrested on September 9 for alleged irregularities in the Skill Development Corporation. It is alleged that these irregularities caused a loss of more than Rs 300 crore to the exchequer.