The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition that sought to transfer ongoing cases registered by the Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) against Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A bench led by Justice Bela Trivedi expressed strong displeasure, calling the petition completely baseless. The court issued a stern warning to senior advocate Maninder Singh, who argued for the PIL, cautioning that severe penalties would be imposed if he proceeded to make any arguments on the matter.
The court rebuked Singh, asking, “Do you even argue such petitions?” before dismissing the PIL and instructing that no further submissions be made.
The PIL was filed by Andhra Pradesh High Court lawyer B. Balayya, who accused Naidu and his government of systematically obstructing investigations into several criminal cases involving allegations of corruption and money laundering.
The plea sought the transfer of seven significant cases from the Andhra Pradesh CID to the CBI, citing concerns about conflicts of interest and interference. It alleged that the state administration was actively obstructing justice in cases implicating the Chief Minister and senior officials.
The petition specifically listed five cases pending against Naidu: the AP Fibernet Limited case, the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) case, the Amaravati Inner Ring Road case, and two Assigned Lands Scam cases. It claimed that charge sheets had already been filed by the CID in five cases, while investigations in the remaining two were still underway.
The petition raised concerns over the accused holding influential positions over the investigating agencies, resulting in what it described as an "unprecedented conflict of interest."
Additionally, it alleged harassment and intimidation of key complainants and witnesses, citing incidents such as the suspension of a government employee who filed a complaint in the AP Fibernet case and retaliatory FIRs against a complainant in the Andhra Pradesh State Beverages Corporation Limited (APSBCL) case.
