2010 Violence Case: Court Orders Arrest Of Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has been issued an arrest warrant by a local court in Maharashtra in connection with the Babli project across the river Godavari, reports The Economic Times.

NR Gajbhiye, the First Class Judicial Magistrate of Dharmabad in Nanded District, Maharashtra, demanded the police to arrest and produce all the accused before the court by 21 September.

Andhra Water Resources Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao and Social Welfare Minister N Anand Babu, former MLA G Kamalakar (who subsequently joined the TRS) were among the Telugu Desam Party workers along with Chandrababu Naidu who would face arrest.

Naidu was then in the Opposition in united Andhra Pradesh, and was arrested and lodged in a jail in Pune in connection with the agitation staged by them near the Babli project site in Maharashtra, alleging that the project would affect the people downstream.

The charges are “assault or criminal force”, “deterring a public servant from discharge of duty”, “voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means”, the “act of endangering life or personal safety of others” and “criminal intimidation”.

Andhra Pradesh Information Technology Minister, N Lokesh, son of Naidu, said his father and other TDP leaders would cooperate with the court proceedings.