Centre’s help needed to issue red corner notices for Naidu’s PA: Sajjala

Srinivas is private assistant (PA) of Mr. Naidu, and the CID/government is hopeful that bringing back Srinivas to Andhra Pradesh would hasten the investigation.

Close on the heels of the Andhra Pradesh High Court directing the CID not to take any coercie acation against the former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu until September 18, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has asserted that it will coordinate with the Union government in issuing the red corner notices to bring back Pendyala Srinivas and Manoj Vasudev Pardasani, who reportedly fled the country.

The duo had allegedly played key roles in the Skill Development scam. The Crime Investigation Department (CID) suspects that Manoj left for the UAE on 5 September, while Srinivas was in the U.S. 

Addressing a press conference at the party office at Tadepalli, near here, on Wednesday, YSRCP State general secretary and Government Adviser (Public Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said that there would be interaction between the investigating agencies, at the national level and State level. Sharing of information would be there. The investigating agency (CID) would do whatever was required. The Central government help was required in issuing the notices, and necessary formalities in that direction would be done, he said.

A couple of days ago, ADGP Sanjay also stated that the CID would seek the help of Interpol to get them back to Andhra Pradesh. Srinivas is private assistant (PA) of Mr. Naidu, and the CID/government is hopeful that bringing back Srinivas to Andhra Pradesh would hasten the investigation.

Mr. Ramakrishna Reddy further said that Mr.  Naidu’s judicial remand became necessary since in his capacity as former Chief Minister, he might influence the witnesses. “Hence, the CID opposed the house custody petition.  Mr. Naidu was capable of doing such things.  Mr. Naidu was playing all his cards, and was also going all offensive to gain sympathy and political mileage out of the arrest and subsequent lodging in prison,” he alleged. 

How can the former Chief Minister escape the arrest or say it was a violation of human rights. He possesses exclusive knowledge of the transactions leading to the issuance of government orders and memoranda of understanding, making him a central figure in the investigation. He is the perpetrator, mastermind and pressed players required into action to siphon off the public money. The public funds from the government were transferred to private entities via shell companies, and there was no actual delivery or sales of items on invoices, Mr. Reddy said.

“Not just the CID, even other agencies, such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and GST have already investigated the case. All procedures are being followed in the deep-rooted economic offence case,” he added.