Naidu's Day-One in Central Prison

Vijayawada: Telugu Desam president Nara Chandrababu Naidu, currently in judicial remand for a fortnight at the Central Prison in Rajahmundry, has begun practising yoga and meditation there in the early hours on Monday.

The accused in the Rs.371 crore AP Skill Development Corporation scam was sent to judicial remand by the ACB special court on Sunday night. He was shifted to the central prison by road. By the time he settled down in his allotted special room in the Sneha Block at the central prison, it was around 2.30am. He has been given the remand prisoner number 7691.

Naidu was very tired in the last two days since the time of his arrest in Nandyal in the early hours of Saturday. He was brought to Vijayawada and subjected to evidence-taking by the AP CID special investigation team. Later, he was produced before the ACB court.

The TD chief slept inside his cell for a while and woke up in the early hours of Monday morning. A while later, he started practising yoga and meditation.

In the morning, Naidu was served with breakfast, mainly fruit salad. He was given hot water to prepare black coffee.

The ACB court had permitted Naidu to get home-made food and medicines. His cooks in a special van prepare the food outside and supply it to him in the prison. In the afternoon, Naidu was served with cooked brown rice, ladies finger fry, paneer curry, curd and hot water.

The prison authorities are checking the food before allowing the VIP prisoner to consume it, as is usually done as a precautionary measure. They are also providing unarmed prison guards to assist Naidu and to provide him protection.

TD general secretary and Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh was camping in Rajahmundry. Family members including Naidu’s wife Bhuvaneswari and wife Brahmana were yet to arrive there.

According to the jail manual, three persons of a family or those recommended by the family members can meet Naidu in prison twice a week. Lokesh and the other family members may meet Naidu on Tuesday.

So far, Naidu being an NSG-protected VIP, he enjoyed Z-plus security cover. Now, with no security personnel allowed along with Naidu in the prison, the central prison authorities have beefed up his security through electronic surveillance at the prison.

Meanwhile, local police barricaded the roads leading to the central prison and are keeping a close watch on the movement of people and vehicles to avoid any risk to Naidu’s life.