In a major development, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu was arrested on Saturday in Nandyal district by the state police's Crime Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the Skill Development Corporation corruption case.
The TDP chief was arrested at around 6 a.m. in the morning by the CID team headed by the Deputy Superintendent of Police M. Dhananjayudu.
As party workers assembled in protest against Naidu's arrest, heavy police force has been deployed in the area.
A notice served to the TDP chief reads: "It is to inform you that you have been arrested...U/s (under section) 120(B), 166, 167, 418, 420, 465, 468, 471, 409, 201, 109 r/w 34 & 37 IPC and Sec 12, 13 (2) r/w 13 (1) (c) and (d) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1998 of CID."
According to the notice, Naidu cannot be released on bail as "it is a non-bailable offence".
However, the notice added that he can seek bail through court only.
The former TDP government led by Chandrababu Naidu in 2014 in Andhra Pradesh had signed an MoU worth Rs 3,300 crore with a consortium involving corporate giants.
A Government Order was also issued for setting up six centers of excellence for skill development.
In 2017, the tax investigation wing of GST- Intelligence Pune unearthed the scam.
Also during the probe, CID officials found that no tenders were called for the project, and corporate giants who had agreed to establish skill centres had not spent a single rupee from their own resources on the project and instead it was siphoned off a major portion contributed by the government of Andhra Pradesh as its share for the 10 per cent of the project cost, amounting to Rs 371 crore.
The money was allegedly diverted to major shell companies.
'My name is the guarantee of security in the country', PM Modi says in Karnataka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that his name is the guarantee of security in the country, adding it was his primary duty to protect the citizens of the nation.
9 held for gang rape of minors in Meghalaya
Nine persons were arrested by the police in connection with the rape of minor girls in the South West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, officials said on Sunday.
Indian Coast Guard apprehends Pakistani boat with huge consignment of narcotics
In a major success, the Indian Coast Guard, following an overnight aerial-maritime joint operation with the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), on Sunday apprehended a Pakistan boat in the Arabian Sea, west of Gujarat's Porbandar, and seized a large haul of narcotics.
Decision to build Ram Mandir in Ayodhya should have been taken on next day of Independence, PM Modi says in K'taka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the decision to build Ram Mandir in Ayodhya should have been taken the very next day after the country achieved Independence in 1947.
Rahul slams BJD-BJP in Odisha rally, says both in collusion to benefit few corporates
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, stepping up the party’s campaign in Odisha on Sunday lashed out at the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government and the opposition BJP while accusing them of having ‘married’ each other for personal gains and befooling the public.
PM Modi has already scored a century in first two phases of LS polls: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already scored a century of seats in the first two phases of Lok Sabha polls.
Govt extends shutdown of schools in Tripura till May 1, heat wave alert extends
In view of the intense heat wave, the Tripura government has announced an extension of shutdown of all government aided schools and privately managed schools till May 1 next.
Despite having a woman CM, females in West Bengal most unsafe: JP Nadda
BJP national president J. P. Nadda on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, saying that despite having a woman chief minister, females in the state are most unsafe.