In a major setback to the Andhra Pradesh government in the Inner Ring Road Case (IRR) case, the Supreme Court has refused to cancel the anticipatory bail granted to TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu.
The court said that the order against the co-accused in the same case would also be applicable to Naidu.
"The SLP was filed in the case in the year 2022. Therefore, does rule 17A apply?" the bench also asked.
The AP government's counsel explained that several IPC sections were also pending in the case. It was also brought to the notice of the court that an investigation was underway under Section 420 of IPC. The bench then asked how the section would be applicable.
Naidu's lawyer Siddharth Luthra submitted the matter to the bench after seeking the details of the other cases pending in the Supreme Court. The court examined all the details. It said that ordinary bail had also been granted in the remaining cases. The government's counsel said that Naidu had got regular bail in some cases and anticipatory bail in others. The bench then asked what the harm would be if Naidu was also out when the co-accused were out on bail.