Vijayawada - A local court in Vijayawada has denied a request for house arrest filed by TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, stating that his usual Z-plus security may not be feasible under house custody, and he would be better protected in jail.

The former chief minister has been arrested in connection with his alleged involvement in a multi-crore Skill Development Corporation scam. He is presently confined to Rajamahendravaram Central Prison, following a 14-day judicial custody order issued by a local court in Vijayawada on Sunday.

On Monday, a legal team led by senior counsel Siddharth Luthra, representing Naidu, submitted a petition seeking house custody, citing concerns over security threats. Naidu has long been a Z-plus category security recipient, continuously safeguarded by a team of NSG commandos.

Jayakar Matta, Naidu's attorney, stated, "House arrest was not granted. The Court's rationale for refusing house arrest is security-related." According to Matta, the court's decision was based on the belief that Z-plus security measures could not be adequately implemented in a home-based custody arrangement, making jail a more secure option for Naidu.

Furthermore, the court mentioned that it would have considered house custody if it were possible to ensure Naidu's Z-plus security. However, due to security considerations, jail was deemed the safer option.

Matta revealed that Naidu's legal team would pursue house custody through the high court once they received the official order from the ACB court, which had denied their initial petition. He suggested that the move to the AP High Court might occur either later tonight or on Wednesday.

Naidu's arrest is connected to a fraudulent case involving the misappropriation of funds from the Skill Development Corporation, resulting in a loss of Rs 300 crore to the state government, as stated by AP CID Chief N Sanjay after the arrest.