Can’t interpret provision requiring sanction to frustrate Prevention of Corruption Act, SC tells Chandrababu Naidu

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said that it cannot interpret the provision requiring mandatory prior sanction to prosecute any public servant in a manner to frustrate the objective of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The observation was made by a bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M. Trivedi while hearing a plea filed by Telugu Desam Party supremo and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu seeking quashing of proceedings initiated against him in connection with the alleged Skill Development Corporation scam case.

Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for the TDP chief, argued that any proceedings against Naidu could not have been initiated without getting a sanction from the Governor of the state.

The top court said that it will continue to hear the matter for October 10 after proceedings remained inconclusive on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday declined to grant anticipatory bail to Naidu in the Amaravati Inner Ring Road scam case, the AP FibreNet scandal case and the Angallu violence case in the Annamayya district. The Vijayawada ACB Court also dismissed his bail application while refusing to grant his further custody to CID in the alleged Skill Development Corporation scam.

So far, the Supreme Court has refused to pass any interim relief to Naidu. In the previous hearing, it has asked the state government to place before it compilation of all documents filed before the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

Naidu has approached the Supreme Court by filing a Special Leave Petition after a single judge bench of Justice S. Reddy of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on September 22 dismissed his petition to quash the FIR registered against him and to set aside his judicial remand.

–IANS