Telugu Desam Party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who had never been behind the bars of the prison in his 45-years of political life, is now compelled to cool his heels in Rajahmundry central jail.
Instead of facing the inevitable situation and take it into his stride, Naidu is still desperately trying to avoid being in jail for long. That is why, he has moved a petition in the ACB court again seeking a house imprisonment on Monday.
Naidu’s counsel and senior Supreme Court lawyer Siddharth Luthra argued that the TDP chief is facing threat to his life inside the Rajahmundry jail and hence he should be kept under house imprisonment.
“He is a high-profile leader with serious security threat and has been under the protection of National Security Guards (NSG) guards round the clock,” he said.
Luthra pointed out that Rajahmundry central jail housed hardcore criminals and killers and hence, it is not safe for Naidu to be lodged there.
“We have our own doubts over the security provided by the state government to him in the jail,” he said.
He argued that the state government had earlier withdrawn security cover to Naidu but the Centre had extended him high security.
“Therefore, we feel he is safer at home under the central security cover,” he said quoting certain judgements given by the Supreme Court in the past.
The judge wondered why the Rajahmundry jail was not safer for him, because it had all the facilities and a high security zone.
“When Naidu could be lodged in a separate room with adequate security cover, where is the need for house arrest,” the judge asked.
Additional Advocate General Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy also pointed out that there was no provision for house imprisonment in the Criminal Procedure Code.
“There is adequate security in the jail and as per the court directions, Naidu has been provided with separate room and other facilities under additional security. In fact, he is safer in jail than at his home,” he argued.
After hearing prolonged arguments from both the sides, the ACB court judge deferred the judgement to Tuesday.
