TDP chief writes to CID for lawyers' team to defend his case in court

Vijayawada: Arrested TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday asked the CID to allow him to use the services of a four-member legal team. Naidu wrote a letter addressed to the investigation officer, Economic Offences Wing (EOW) – II, CID in this regard, referring to case number 29/2021 in which he was arrested for his alleged role in the Skill Development Corporation scam. "I am herewith informing that I need the following advocates assistance in the matter," wrote Naidu, naming senior counsel and former Advocate General Dammalapati Srinivas and three others.

Senior counsel Posani Venkateswarlu, advocate M Lakshminarayana and advocate Javvaji Sarath Chandra are part of the legal team. To further bolster Naidu's defence in the court, TDP has flown in Supreme Court lawyer Siddarth Luthra, a party source confirmed to PTI. Meanwhile, Nara Lokesh, Naidu's son and TDP general secretary, who cut short his padayatra (political walkathon) has reached the CID office at Kunchanapalli in Vijayawada, where Naidu is being probed. He was accompanied by his mother Nara Bhuvaneswari and other relatives. According to TDP sources, they are yet to meet Naidu, who is being questioned on the fifth floor.

Lokesh, Bhuvaneswari and others are waiting on the fourth floor. Further, TDP sources said that Naidu's advocates have not yet been allowed to meet the former chief minister. Naidu was arrested at Nandyal today in connection with the alleged Skill Development Corporation scam