The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned, till February 26, the hearing on a plea filed by the Andhra Pradesh government challenging grant of regular bail to TDP supremo and former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu in connection with the alleged Skill Development Corporation scam case.
Due to unavailability of senior advocate Harish Salve, who appears on Naidu’s behalf, a Bench, headed by Justice Bela M. Trivedi acceded to the request for deferring the hearing for a period of two weeks.
On the other hand, the Andhra Pradesh CID requested the Bench, also comprising Justice Pankaj Mithal, for expeditious disposal of the plea seeking cancellation of Naidu’s bail.
The special leave petition filed by the state CID before the Supreme Court challenges the decision by a bench of Justice T. Mallikarjuna Rao of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on November 20 ordering release of the TDP leader on regular bail on the bail bond already furnished by him.
The High Court made “absolute” the interim bail granted to Naidu on October 31 on medical grounds.
A division bench of the Supreme Court in January this year delivered a split verdict on a plea filed by Naidu seeking quashing of criminal proceedings against him in the same case. Resultantly, his plea was referred to the Chief Justice of India for the constitution of a larger Bench to settle the law.
