The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has formally exonerated Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in connection with the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation case, stating unequivocally that he had neither direct nor indirect involvement in the alleged offence and that no evidence exists to link him to money laundering.
In a supplementary chargesheet submitted on January 31 before the Special PMLA Court in Visakhapatnam, the ED clarified that its investigation had not revealed any material implicating Naidu in the laundering of funds. Consequently, his name was not included as an accused in the case, effectively giving him a clean chit in the matter.
This conclusion aligns with earlier findings by the Andhra Pradesh Criminal Investigation Department (AP CID), which had also stated that Naidu was not connected to the alleged irregularities associated with the Skill Development project. In addition, the Vijayawada ACB Court, while permitting the withdrawal of the case, had observed that there were no sustainable grounds to continue the allegations against him.
The Skill Development case had earlier resulted in Naidu’s arrest in September 2023, a development that triggered significant political debate. Following his arrest, he spent more than 53 days in Rajahmundry Central Jail before being granted bail in October 2023. The ED’s latest stand is being viewed as a major and decisive development in the high-profile case, which had drawn national attention.
The case itself relates to alleged financial irregularities in the functioning of the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC), with claims that misappropriation of funds caused a loss exceeding ₹300 crore to the state exchequer. Investigative agencies had been probing the flow and utilisation of funds under the project.
Throughout the proceedings, Naidu has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has maintained that the cases filed against him were politically motivated. He has alleged that the action taken against him was driven by vendetta rather than evidence, a claim he reiterated even as investigative agencies cleared him of involvement.
