CID May Seek for Cancellation of Anticipatory Bail to Accused in IRR Project Case: Supreme Court

The Andhra Pradesh government has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the grant of anticipatory bail to the TDP leader and the former Minister of Municipal Administration and Urban Development Ponguru Narayana, Lingamaneni Ramesh, Lingamaneni Rajashekar and KPV Anjani Kumar in connection with alleged irregularities in the Inner Ring Road (IRR) project. Currently, the Crime Investigation Department (CID) is investigating the case.

Senior Counsel Harin Raval, appearing for the Andhra Pradesh government, submitted to the Apex court that “the High Court of Andhra Pradesh had noted in its order granting anticipatory bail that under Section 146 of APCRDA Act, no prosecution could be initiated on any action done under the APCRDA Act. This was not legally correct.”

The high court had also erroneously deemed it as a case with 6 years of delay, whereas the Inner Ring Road was notified only in 2018.

The counsel further submitted that the High Court had erroneously noted that there was no material against the accused, though there were specific details of offences committed by each of the accused. The accused were not cooperating with the investigation agency after the High Court granted them bail, the senior counsel added. 

After hearing the petition, the SC bench comprising Justice Bhushan Gavai and  Justice B. Nagarathna said that the observations of the High Court in the anticipatory bail application would not have any adverse bearing on the ongoing investigation and also the investigation agency can approach the High Court if the accused are not cooperating in the investigation and seek for cancellation of the anticipatory bail. 

On September 6, the High Court granted anticipatory bail to former minister P Narayana and other accused in the case registered by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) over alleged irregularities in the Inner Ring Road (IRR) project.

Following a complaint from YSRCP MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, the CID had registered a case against the former Chief Minister Chandrababu Nayudu, minister Narayana and others accusing them of causing wrongful loss to farmers and pecuniary benefit to others by changing the alignment of the IRR. 

Along with Chandrababu Naidu, the then minister for municipal administration, P Narayana, Ramakrishna Housing Private Limited director, KPV Anjani Kumar, Lingamaneni Ramesh and Lingamaneni Venkata Surya Rajasekhar were named as accused in the FIR registered by the CID.

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