Dharmabad court in Maharashtra on Friday refused to grant an exemption to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and 13 others from appearing before it while dealing with a non-bailable warrant issued on them for violating orders during the agitation against the Babli barrage, ten years ago. The court, while granting bail to three Telangana leaders that attended court on Friday, refused to take up the ‘recall’ petition filed by lawyers on behalf of the Chief Minister and 12 others. NR Ghajbiye, Judicial First-Class Magistrate, Dharmabad of Nanded district in Maharashtra had ordered the police to arrest the TDP leaders including Chandrababu and present them on September 21. However, Chandrababu had sent his lawyers Mr Subba Rao and Mr Hanumantha Rao to file a petition to recall the Non-Bailable Warrant issued against him by the court.
According to sources, the Magistrate refused to accept the argument that Chandrababu being a chief minister has prior commitments and could not attend the court. The Magistrate very clearly said that no one is above the law and everyone that received the court notices must attend the court on 15 October. Three Telangana politicians Prakash Goud, Gangula Kamalakar and Ratnam attended the court on Friday and got bail. Chandrababu will leave for America on Saturday to deliver a keynote address at a convention on “Financing Sustainable Agriculture – Global challenges and opportunities” on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. It may be mentioned that the ruling TDP has even expressed apprehension about the timing of the warrant to Chandrababu. Few even said that the ruling BJP at the centre was unhappy over Chandrababu addressing the UN.