Former Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu writes to judge, alleges threat to life in jail

VIJAYAWADA: Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has complained to the Vijayawada ACB Court that there is a threat to his life in Rajahmundry Central Prison, where he is in judicial remand in Skill Development Corporation case.

In a letter to the special judge of ACB Court Vijayawada, he brought to the court’s notice a few untoward incidents that occurred in and around the jail which may endanger his ‘life and limb despite being a Z+ category security protectee'.

Alleging that his security is in grave peril due to the acts of the present government and the leaders of the ruling party, he requested the judge to undertake foolproof security arrangements in and around the jail, commensurate with the Z+ Category security cover provided to him.

He wrote that it came to his notice that a drone was flown over the prison by some unidentified miscreants to capture his movements with a ‘sinister design at the instance of the people in power'.

“The drone came near the open jail where some prisoners were lodged. Despite this alarming incident the local police have not taken any step till now to unearth the truth or pin the mastermind behind the said incident. This incident blatantly exposes the naked truth that jail authorities are helpless,” reads the letter dated October 25 and released by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to the media on October 27.

Naidu wrote that another drone was flown over the main gate of the Central Prison on October 6 to capture the images of his family members while they were coming out after meeting him.

He said it also came to his notice that Ganja packets were thrown into the prison by some miscreants and they were caught red handed by some of the prisoners who were gardening. “Out of the total prisoners of 2,200 lodged inside the central prison, Rajamahendravaram, 750 of them are in alleged NDPS offences posing grave threat to my security,” he said in the letter.

The TDP supremo informed the judge that it came to his notice that one remand prisoner in an NDPS case from S.Kota was roaming in the prison with a pen camera, capturing pictures of the prisoners inside.

Naidu also wrote that when he was brought to the jail on the intervening night of October 10 and 11, he was unauthorisedly videographed and photographed while entering the prison and while in the prison complex. “The said footage was leaked out by the police themselves. Those images were widely circulated/publicized on social media platforms by the party in power with a malicious intention to damage my reputation and image in the eyes of the people, by throwing my security concerns to the winds, having the tendency to put my life in danger.”

The TDP chief said it also came to his notice that one anonymous letter was received by the Superintendent of Police (SP), East Godavari and the jail authorities in which it was written that some Left-wing extremists are planning to assassinate me and crores of rupees have changed hands to execute that assassination bid. The police authorities till now did not make any attempt to inquire about the veracity of the said letter nor have taken steps to avert any unforeseen incident.

The former chief minister wrote that in the last four and a half years, the ruling party cadres at the instance of their leaders and with the overt support of the police tried to attack him physically several times during his visits to various places to expose the anti people and anarchic policies of the incumbent government and the Chief Minister.

He listed out the incidents to "illustrate the fact that my security is in grave peril due to the acts of the present government and the leaders of the ruling party".

Naidu said immediately after the present government assumed power it scaled down his existing security cover with effect from June 25, 2019. It was only at the intervention of the high court that his security cover was restored.