AP High Court Grants Anticipatory Bail to Chandrababu Naidu in 3 Cases

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh High Court granted anticipatory bail to Telugu Desam president Nara Chandrbabu Naidu in three cases on Wednesday.

These cases pertain to anomalies in the alignment of the Amaravati Inner Ring Road, the free sand policy and the liquor-related allegations.

The court also granted bail to former minister Kollu Ravindra and former excise commissioner Naresh in the liquor case.

A single judge bench of Justice T. Mallikarjuna Rao pronounced the verdict by granting anticipatory bail but also imposing conditions.

The court asked the petitioners to abstain from making any public comment related to the cases.

The petitioners have been asked to surrender before the investigation officer within a week and furnish a personal bond for '1 lakh with two sureties of a like sum each to the investigating officer (IO).

The court asked the petitioners to appear before IO whenever their presence was necessary. They must do so with a minimum of 48 hours’ notice.

The court said that the observations made in the order were preliminary in nature and pertained solely to the decision on the present application, and this is not linked to the case’s merits. “The investigation agency has the freedom to investigate without being influenced by the observations made (by the court) in its order,” it made clear.