A special court for Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) cases in Vijayawada on Thursday refused to extend the police custody of senior Telugu Desam Party leader and former MLA Dhulipalla Narendra Kumar who has been facing charges of irregularities in the Sangam Diary in Guntur district.
The ACB court said there was no question of extending the custody of Dhulipalla for an interrogation by the ACB authorities. The custody would come to an end by Friday.
The authorities represented to the court that they could not complete the questioning of Dhulipalla, as he had been afflicted with Coronavirus and had been hospitalised. So, they wanted the court to grant another week-long custody of Dhulipall.
However, the court refused to entertain the ACB petition. Instead, it asked the authorities to ensure that better medical care be provided to Dhulipalla, who has been undergoing treatment at Ayush Hospital in Vijayawada.
Meanwhile, the court also heard the petition of Dhulipalla seeking bail in the case. His advocate Gottipati Ramakrishna requested that the TDP leader granted bail on health grounds. The court deferred the petition to Friday for further hearing.
On April 23, Dhulipalla was arrested by the ACB sleuths at his residence in Chitalapudi village of Ponnur mandal in Guntur district on charges of irregularities in Sangam Milk Producers Company Limited.
The ACB registered cases against him under sections 13(1)(c)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Sec 408,409,418,420,465, 471,120-B r/w 34 IPC.
Dhulipalla is also chairman of Guntur District Milk Producers Cooperative Union Limited and Guntur District Milk Producers Mutually Aided Cooperative Union Limited.
