SC posts for hearing on November 30 plea of Naidu in FiberNet scam

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday posted for the November 30 plea of former Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu seeking anticipatory bail in the FibreNet case. A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi said since the order is reserved on plea relating to the Skill Development scam case, it would hear the anticipatory bail plea of Naidu in the FiberNet case after the verdict is delivered.

The bench indicated that the judgment in Naidu's plea seeking direction to quash FIR in the Skill Development scam case is likely to be delivered after the Diwali vacation. "There is another petition by the same petitioner in similar issues in which judgment has been reserved. We direct this plea to be listed on November 30," the bench said.

Earlier, it asked the Andhra Pradesh police not to arrest Naidu in the FibreNet case till it delivers judgement on the plea in the Skill Development scam case. Andhra Pradesh police had assured the bench that police would not take Naidu into custody in the FibreNet case.

The top court was hearing Naidu's special leave petition against an order of the Andhra Pradesh High Court refusing to grant him anticipatory bail earlier. The bench had reserved its verdict on a plea filed by Naidu seeking the quashing of the FIR registered against him rooted in the Skill Development scam case.

He had challenged the High Court judgment rejecting his plea for the quashing of FIR. Chandrababu Naidu is currently on medical bail in another first case for four weeks The FiberNet case relates to alleged tender manipulation in allotting a work order under Phase-1 of the Andhra Pradesh FiberNet Project involving Rs. 330 crore to a favoured company.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Andhra Pradesh police has alleged irregularities in the project right from awarding the tender to completion of the work, causing a huge loss to the state exchequer.