High Court dismisses A B Venkateswara Rao’s plea

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by senior police officer A B Venkateswara Rao who was suspended by the YSRCP government and later reinstated by the court.

In his petition, Venkateswara Rao appealed to the High Court to direct the Andhra Pradesh police not to arrest him. The senior police officer was suspended by the state government for allegedly colluding with a foreign defense manufacturing company, R.T. Inflatables Private Limited, and reportedly leaked critical police and intelligence information to the Israel-based company.

In his petition, Venkateswara Rao appealed to the High Court to direct the Andhra Pradesh police not to arrest him. The court observed that it had referred a case to the state government. The state government will have to face contempt proceedings if it fails to file a case as per the standard procedures.

Earlier, Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney had issued orders suspending Rao and directed him not to leave Vijayawada without obtaining permission from the government, during the suspension period. Following this A B Venkateswara Rao challenged the government’s decision in the High Court. In his petition before the High Court, Rao had alleged that the state government did not give him any posting and placed him under suspension on vague charges which were in violation of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India and principles of natural justice.

The High Court had set aside the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order which had upheld the state government’s decision to suspend the senior IPS officer. Rao served as Additional DG (CID) and also as Director-General (Intelligence). He was not given any posting after the YSRCP came into power. Setting aside the CAT order, the High Court had directed the state government to reinstate Rao and pay him salary during the suspension period

On July 2 this year, the Andhra Pradesh government had filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court orders revoking the suspension orders against senior police officer A B Venkateswara Rao. In the petition, the Andhra Pradesh government sought a stay on the HC verdict which had directed the state government to reinstate him to the regular service and pay him a full salary.