TDP chief, ex-Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu reaches Rajamundry central jail

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu reached Rajamundry central jail in the early hours of Monday after being remanded to judicial custody in a corruption case.

According to the police, the former CM has been allotted an upper block in Sneha Wing of the jail to reside until further procedure alongside prisoner number 7691.

The TDP chief's son Nara Lokesh and other party leaders also reached the central jail.

East Godavari district police have imposed a prohibitory act in Rajamundry to maintain law and order in the area.

Heavy police security has already been deployed at Rajamundry Central jail prior to the former CM's remand.

A state bandh has been called by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) over the arrest of party chief on Monday.

Naidu was sent to judicial custody till September 23 by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court in Vijayawada in connection with an alleged Skill Development Corporation scam.

Chandrababu Naidu was arrested by the Andhra Pradesh Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Saturday in connection to an alleged corruption case.

The case pertains to the establishment of clusters of Centers of Excellence (CoEs) in the state of Andhra Pradesh, with a total estimated project value of Rs 3300 crore, as per the officials.

The agency officials also claimed that the alleged fraud has caused a huge loss to the state government in excess of Rs 300 crores.

As per the CID, the investigation has revealed serious irregularities such as before any expenditure by private entities, the then state government provided an advance of Rs 371 crores, representing the entire 10 per cent commitment by the government.

Most of the money advanced by the government was diverted to shell companies through fake invoices, with no actual delivery or sale of the items mentioned in the invoices, CID officials said.

In its remand report, the CID has said that according to the investigation so far, the total amount spent by private entities on six skill development clusters is sourced exclusively from funds advanced by the Government of AP and AP Skill Development Center, totalling Rs 371 crores.