VIJAYAWADA: The State government on Wednesday appointed senior IPS officer and former Intelligence chief AB Venkateswara Rao as Commissioner of Printing, Stationery and Stores Purchase, relieving Principal Secretary to Home G Vijay Kumar.
After the Supreme Court struck down the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the State government challenging the High Court verdict of lifting suspension on the 1989 batch IPS officer, he reported to the General Administration Department on April 29 and urged Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma for posting.
The SC also directed the government to treat Rao as in service from February 8, 2022 as his suspension order issued on February 8, 2020, could not have been continued after February 7, 2022. On May 16, the government issued an order reinstating Rao in the rank of Director General of Police (DGP).
It may be recalled that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government placed Rao, who worked as the Intelligence Chief during the previous TDP regime, under suspension on charges of committing irregularities in the process of procurement of Aerostat and UAV equipment for the State police as part of modernisation of the force.
After that, the Anti-Corruption Bureau registered a case against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Consequently, Rao’s suspension period was extended on technical grounds.
Interestingly, Rao was posted as Commissioner of Printing, Stationery and Purchase, the same post to which former DGP RP Thakur was sent soon after YS Jagan Mohan Reddy took charge as the Chief minister. However, Thakur was made Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of APSRTC later.