Stating that he was feeling threat to his life in Rajahmundry central jail, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday appealed to the special court for Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) cases in Vijayawada to ensure fool-proof security arrangements in and around the jail in commensurate with the Z+ category security cover provided to him.

Naidu has been lodged in Rajahmundry central prison since the night of September 10, a day after he was arrested by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the state police in connection with the multi-crore skill development scam.

ALSO READ: Naidu’s family raises health concerns in jail, staff denies

In a letter dated October 25 written to ACB court judge justice Hima Bindu, a copy of which was released to the media on Friday after clearance from the jail superintendent, the TDP president said there were a few untoward incidents that occurred in and around the prison in the recent past that might endanger his life, despite him being a Z+ category security protected person.

He said on the night of September 10, while entering the prison and also in the prison complex, he was unauthorisedly videographed and photographed.

“The video footage was leaked out by the police themselves and the images were widely circulated and publicised on social media platforms by the party in power [ YSR Congress Party] with a malicious intention to damage my reputation and image in the eyes of the people, by throwing my security concerns to the winds, having the tendency to put my life in danger,” he said.

Naidu further said an anonymous letter was received by the superintendent of police (SP), East GodavariP Jagadish and the jail authorities stating that some left-wing extremists are planning to assassinate me and crores of rupees have been charged to execute that assassination bid.

“The police authorities till now did not make any attempt to enquire about the veracity of the said letter nor have taken steps to avert any unforeseen incident,” he complained.

He said it had come to his notice that a remand prisoner in an NDPS (narcotics, drugs and psychotropic substance) case from S Kota was roaming in the prison with a pen camera, capturing pictures of the prisoners inside.

He further said a drone was also flown over the Rajahmundry jail by some unidentified miscreants to capture my movements with a sinister design at the instance of the people in power. The drone came near the open jail where some prisoners were lodged.

“Despite this alarming incident, the local police have not taken any step till now to unearth the truth or look into the mastermind behind the said incident. This incident blatantly exposes the naked truth that jail authorities are helpless,” he said.

Another drone was flown over the main gate of the Central Prison on October 6, to capture the images of his family members while they were coming out after meeting him. “This incident exposes risk not only to me but also to my family members,” he complained.

The TDP chief further said ganja (cannabis) packets were thrown into the prison by some miscreants and they were caught red handed by some of the prisoners, who were in the garden area. “Out of the total 2,200 prisoners lodged inside central prison, 750 of them are accused in NDPS offences, posing grave threat to my security,” he said.

He requested the judge to ensure that fool-proof security arrangements be made in and around the Rajahmundry Central Prison, commensurate with the Z+ category security cover provided to him.

Reacting to Naidu’s letter, his wife Nara Bhuvaneshwari expressed concern over the prevailing conditions in the Rajahmundry central jail. “Right from the beginning, we have been expressing apprehensions over the security arrangements within the jail,” she said in a statement.

The YSRCP and the jail authorities have not responded to Naidu’s letter.