CID clears Naidu in AP Skill Development case

In a politically significant development with wide repercussions in Andhra Pradesh, the state CID has given a clean chit to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in the AP State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) case, and a court in Vijayawada has accepted the agency’s closure report, effectively closing proceedings against him.

The relief to Naidu comes in a case that had dramatically reshaped the State’s political landscape. The former chief minister’s arrest in September 2023 triggered a statewide backlash and became a rallying point that united the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP) , hardening the alliance that later fought the elections together and returned to power. Political observers have repeatedly described the case as a major miscalculation by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) a “self goal” that helped consolidate the opposition and energise its cadre and voter base.

Andhra Pradesh Advocate General Dammalapati Srinivas said the investigating agency found no material to establish Naidu’s involvement and accordingly moved the court for closure.

“After completing the investigation, the agency filed a closure report stating that there was no substance in the case regarding Naidu’s role. The court accepted it on Monday,” Srinivas told PTI.

The case related to alleged irregularities in the APSSDC, which, as per the complaint, caused a loss of over Rs 300 crore to the State exchequer. Naidu was arrested on September 9, 2023 , during the YSRCP government headed by Jagan Mohan Reddy , and spent more than 50 days in Rajamahendravaram Central Prison before securing bail from the Andhra Pradesh High Court on October 31, 2023 .

The closure of the case against Naidu is expected to intensify political sparring in the State, with the ruling coalition likely to project the court-accepted report as vindication, while the YSRCP faces renewed scrutiny over the prosecution that became one of the most consequential flashpoints in recent Andhra politics.