VIJAYAWADA: The State government on Sunday suspended senior IPS officers P Sitharama Anjaneyulu, Kanthi Rana Tata and Vishal Gunni following allegations of ‘excesses’ against them in investigation of the case on Bollywood actress and model Kadambari Jethwani.
Chief Secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad issued separate orders suspending the three IPS officers. The orders read that the three IPS officers were placed under suspension under Rule 3 (1) of All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules 1969.
The government took the action against them based on the report from the Director General of Police that a detailed inquiry report was received from the Commissioner of Police, NTR Police Commissionerate, Vijayawada regarding allegations on investigation in Cr No. 90/2024 u/s 384, 385, 386, 388, 420, 457, 468, 471 r/w 12(B) IPC of Ibrahimpatnam police station against Jethwani.
The DGP reported that on January 31, 2024, Anjaneyulu (the then Intelligence DG) called Tata, the then Commissioner of Police, and Gunni, the then Deputy Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada, to the CMO and instructed them to arrest Jethwani though no case was registered against her as on that date.
The record shows that the FIR was registered at 6.30 am on February 2, 2024, whereas Anjaneyulu issued instructions to Tata and Gunni on January 31 itself.
“The act of Anjaneyulu amounts to grave misconduct, misuse of official position and dereliction of duty,” the orders read.
‘IPS officers suspended based on prima facie evidence of misconduct’
As per the DGP’s report Tata and Gunni failed to properly supervise the investigation, and did not ensure that the complaint was thoroughly examined and basic investigation was carried out, before issuing instructions to proceed with the arrest.
It was charged that Tata and Gunni met the then Intelligence DG on January 31, and acted hastily on his oral instructions. On January 31 itself, he gave oral instructions to the officers and instructed his camp clerk to arrange air tickets for the officers to fly to Mumbai.
He cautiously did not give any written instructions and failed to pursue the case thoroughly before deputing the team of officers to arrest the accused to another State. Thus he enabled and indulged in the illegal arrest of Jethwani. The act of Tata amounts to grave misconduct and dereliction of duty. It is further reported that as per the oral instructions of Tata, CC to Commissioner of Police booked flight tickets for Gunni and other officers on February 1, while the FIR was registered on February 2.
The DGP further reported that the FIR was registered on February 2 at 6.30 am and as predetermined, Gunni proceeded to Mumbai on February 2 at 7.30 am without any written instructions from his superior officers in this regard. That this conduct makes it extremely clear that action was initiated well before the crime was registered and that the officer was acting solely based on the prior instructions of the then Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada, and the then Intelligence DG even before the registration of the crime, it was reported.
It was further stated that he did not even claim TA though he went to Mumbai on official work. That he failed to give an opportunity to the person/s arrested to give explanation, nor did he conduct any investigation before highhandedly arresting her. The whole act was carried out within a few hours of registration of FIR without proper documentary or material evidence, which is nothing but sheer disregard to the basic tenets of investigation, it stated.
It is further reported that the trio have all the ability and wherewithal to influence the witnesses and accomplices involved in the episode and very likely to proceed to Mumbai and also make all-out efforts to destroy the available evidence/records. Against such a backdrop, the government came to a conclusion that there is prima facie evidence against them and that the disciplinary proceedings are warranted for their grave misconduct and dereliction of duty and therefore, consider it necessary to initiate disciplinary proceedings and to place the three said IPS officers under suspension, the orders stated.
Trio should not leave Vijayawada sans permission
Senior IPS officers P Sitharama Anjaneyulu, Kanthi Rana Tata and Vishal Gunni should stay in Vijayawada during the period of their suspension. They should not leave the headquarters without obtaining prior permission from the State government
