Andhra Pradesh police’s Crime Investigation Department (CID) has filed a chargesheet naming former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu as the key accused in the Rs 114 crore Andhra Pradesh Fibernet scam case. The chargesheet submitted in a Vijayawada court also arraigns V Hari Krishna Prasad, MD of Net India, and senior IAS officer K Sambasiva Rao.
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Per the CID statement, Naidu misused his position as the then CM holding the energy and infrastructure portfolio to allegedly manipulate tender processes. This led to a work order worth Rs 330 crore for the Fibernet project’s first phase awarded to a favoured company.
The case relates to alleged irregularities in the Fibernet project tendering during Naidu’s 2014-19 tenure. The CID accused Naidu of approving inflated estimates without requisite surveys and pressuring officials to ensure the contract went to blocked firm Terasoftware.
Per the chargesheet, around Rs 114 crore was siphoned through shell companies using fake invoices. The scam caused significant losses to the state exchequer.
In September 2022, the CID filed an FIR pegging the corruption amount at Rs 321 crore. This was based on a complaint by the Fibernet managing director on tender manipulation by then-bureaucrat Hari Krishna Prasad to illegally favour Terasoftware.
The Fibernet project was a centre-backed scheme to provide Internet and telephone connectivity across Andhra’s households. But alleged shady deals resulted in substandard work, cost spikes and delays during the previous regime.
With Naidu and two senior officials formally accused in court, the case will spark a political slugfest between the ruling YSRCP and the TDP. The YSRCP has slammed the opposition party’s governance as “corrupt” and will leverage the chargesheet ahead of state polls. However, the TDP has termed the case a political vengeance by a vindictive government.
The CID’s investigation report and evidence will be keenly watched as the legal battle unfolds with Naidu in the dock.
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