SC rejects plea to revoke Naidu's bail

Vijayawada: The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking the cancellation of chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu's bail in the alleged skill development scam case. The apex court said that since the chargesheet had already been filed in the case, there was no need to entertain the petition at this stage.

The bench, comprising Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice Prasanna B Varale, expressed strong disapproval of a newspaper editor for filing an interlocutory application in the bail cancellation petition.

The bench questioned his connection to the matter, asking how a third party could file such an application in a bail-related petition filed by the state. The court warned of severe consequences if such actions were repeated.

Senior counsel Mukesh Rohatgi, representing the state, informed the bench that the chargesheet had already been filed. In response, the bench observed that once the chargesheet is filed, there was no need for further intervention in the matter of bail cancellation.

Naidu had been arrested in connection with the alleged scam and spent 53 days in jail during the previous YSR Congress govt's tenure. He was released after the high court granted him regular bail. However, then state govt challenged this order in the Supreme Court.

The Telugu daily editor filed the interlocutory application seeking the cancellation of Naidu's bail, requesting that it be considered as a PIL. The Supreme Court rejected both the application and the PIL.