The Supreme Court on Monday declined to urgently take up a plea by former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for quashing of an FIR registered against him in the scam related to setting up of skill development scam centres during his stint.
On behalf of Naidu, denior advocate Siddharth Luthra mentioned the matter for urgent listing.
A bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, however, asked him to "come tomorrow".
"This is a case related to state of Andhra Pradesh where the opposition is being curbed," he said.
The court asked him when the petitioner was arrested.
Luthra said the petitioner has been in custody since September 8.
Naidu filed the plea against the High Court's September 22 order refusing to quash an FIR lodged on December 9, 2021 and order of his judicial remand in a case related to setting up skill development centres.
His plea contended the High Court has disregarded the fact that all the actions have been initiated against him without obtaining mandatory sanction under Section 17 A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
"The petitioner was suddenly named in the FIR registered over twenty-one months ago, arrested in an illegal manner and deprived of his liberty motivated only by political reasons and even though there is no material against him, the petitioner is being made to suffer through an illegal motivated investigation, in clear violation of his fundamental right to fair investigation," his plea stated.
It is alleged he abused his official position, although nothing has been brought on record since registration of FIR on December 09, 2021 to show that he or any of his family members are beneficiaries.
His plea stated, Naidu, presently the Leader of Opposition, the national president of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, having served for more than 14 years, has been illegally put to custody in a FIR and investigation, barred by law.
