VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court quashed the case filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) against retired IPS officer AB Venkateswara Rao, citing lack of evidence regarding alleged irregularities in surveillance equipment procurement.
Justice N Harinath ruled that the ACB’s accusations were vague and unsubstantiated, dismissing both the case and the charge sheet filed in the Vijayawada ACB court.
The High Court stated that the charges were insufficient to warrant a trial. Venkateswara Rao had filed a petition in 2022 seeking to dismiss the ACB case.
Senior advocate B Adinarayana Rao, representing Venkateswara Rao, argued that the procurement process was overseen by the then Director General of Police (DGP), who formed technical and purchase committees.
Venkateswara Rao, he said, merely suggested officer names for these committees and had no role in the tender process.
The tender was awarded to the State Trading Corporation of India (NTCIL), a Central government entity, but was later cancelled by the then Director General of Police for administrative and technical reasons. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NTCIL) refunded Rs 10 lakh to the government for services rendered.
The advocate further clarified that Venkateswara Rao’s son’s company, Akasam Advanced Systems, represented an Israeli firm in other States, but had no operations in Andhra Pradesh or Telangana, countering allegations of undue benefits.
Agreeing with the defence, Justice N Harinath dismissed that the case and the charge sheet, granting relief to Venkateswara Rao.