The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by the state Crime Investigation Department (CID) under the previous Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government, which sought to cancel the bail granted to Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in the AP Skill Development Corporation scam.
A bench led by Justice Bela Trivedi rejected the CID's petition, filed in January 2024, which challenged a state High Court order from November 2023 granting bail to Naidu.
The state government's counsel, Mukul Rohatgi, informed the court that a charge sheet had already been filed in the case.
Justice Bela Trivedi observed that there was no need to interfere with the bail cancellation request, given that the charge sheet had been submitted. She also advised Chandrababu Naidu to cooperate with investigations whenever required.
The court also reprimanded senior journalist Bala Gangadhar Tilak from Swarnandhra, who had filed an interlocutory application seeking the cancellation of Naidu’s bail.
Expressing strong displeasure, the bench questioned the journalist’s involvement, asking: “Who are you? What is your connection to this case? What qualification do you have to file a PIL?”
The court criticized the interference of third parties in bail matters and issued a stern warning, cautioning that such actions could lead to serious repercussions if repeated.