Will not arrest TDP chief in FiberNet case till Oct 18: AP police to SC

The Andhra Pradesh police Friday told the Supreme Court they will not arrest TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu in the FiberNet case till October 18 due to the pendency of the matter related to the Skill Development Corporation scam in the apex court.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Andhra Pradesh government, told a bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi that the state will seek adjournment in the matter from the trial court where Naidu is to be produced on October 16.

The trial court has issued a production warrant and asked the state police to present Naidu before it on October 16.

The bench issued notice to the state government on the fresh plea by Naidu in which the former Andhra Pradesh chief minister has challenged the October 9 order of the high court which had rejected his anticipatory bail plea in the FiberNet case.

Naidu has said in his petition he apprehended his arrest after production in the court on October 16.

The FiberNet case relates to alleged tender manipulation in allotting a work order under Phase-1 of the AP FiberNet Project involving Rs 330 crore to a favoured company.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Andhra Pradesh police has alleged irregularities in the project right from awarding the tender to completion of the work, causing a huge loss to the state exchequer.