A non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and 15 others over the Babli barrage irrigation project agitation in Maharashtra in 2010.
The first class judicial magistrate of Dharmabad in Nanded district, NR Gajbhiye, issued the order and has directed the police to arrest all the accused and produce them in court by 21 September.
At the time of the protest, Naidu was in the Opposition in the united Andhra Pradesh. He was taken into custody along with 76 Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislators as they violated prohibitory orders in Nanded.
They were arrested and later released.
TDP had then alleged that the barrage was being built illegally by the Maharashtra government. They claimed that building the barrage would choke water supply to those living downstream in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh.
The matter then went to the Supreme Court which ruled in favour of Maharashtra but attached clauses to ensure adequate water supply downstream.
The present court order was dated 5 July and was supposed to be executed by 16 August but later changed to 21 September.
Apart from Naidu, AP State Water Resources Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, AP Social Welfare Minister N Anand Babu and former MLA G Kamalakar who defected to the TRS will also be arrested as they too were booked in the case.
They have been charged with Indian Penal Code offences including assault or criminal force, to deter public servant from discharge of duty, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means, act endangering life or personal safety of others, criminal intimidation among others.
The 2010 case had been pending trial all these years.
Responding to the court order, AP State Information Technology Minister N Lokesh said his father and other TDP leaders would attend the court.
“He fought to protect the interests of Telangana. He even refused to seek bail when he was arrested.”N Lokesh, AP State Information Technology Minister
The CM was attending the annual brahmotsavam of Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala near Tirupati when he was informed about the non-bailable arrest warrant against him.
(This story has been published in arrangement with The News Minute.)
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