Chandrababu’s Clean Chit Bid: Chargesheet Delayed, ACB Judge Himabindu Transferred
Since taking charge as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu has been taking steps to ensure that his name is cleared from the multiple scams he has been accused of.
In his latest endeavours, he is pulling out all the stops to delay the submission of fresh chargesheets. It may be noted that an SIT (Special Investigation Team) had submitted chargesheets related to corruption cases against Naidu to the ACB court in April last year. However, the court sought a few clarifications and directed the CID (Criminal Investigation Department) sleuths to resubmit the chargesheets.
The CID had prepared the revised chargesheets by June last year. Following the formation of the TDP-led NDA government, a bureaucratic reshuffle was ordered in the CID — the agency probing several corruption cases against Naidu — in what appears to be an attempt to suppress the truth. As a result, the new chargesheets were not presented before the ACB judge.
Despite being repeatedly questioned over the delay, the CID has remained tight-lipped.
N. Sanjay, the IPS officer who served as the CID chief when Naidu was arrested, was also targeted and accused of misusing funds.
Additionally, it has been reported that intelligence officials have been deployed near the residence of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Court Judge B. Satyavenkata Himabindu, who had remanded Chandrababu Naidu to Rajamahendravaram jail in connection with the Skill Development Corporation scam. Naidu had spent 52 days in Rajahmundry Central Jail.
Moreover, the state government has issued orders transferring Himabindu and appointing her as the Member Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh State Legal Services Authority (APSLSA). It now appears that the probe agency is waiting for another judge to replace Himabindu before submitting the chargesheets.
Recently, the judge confronted police officers and demanded to know why intelligence officials were monitoring her.
It has also come to light that CID officers have been threatening witnesses who gave statements in court under CrPC Section 164. These officials are now reportedly pressuring the witnesses to record false statements.
