The Union Home Ministry has decided to confirm the suspension of former Additional DGP (Intelligence) A.B. Venkateswara Rao in accordance with the terms of the third provision of Rule 3 (1) of the All India Service Rules (D&A), 1969.
The Ministry asked the Andhra Pradesh government to issue a chargesheet against the senior IPS officer by April 7.
In a letter dated March 7, Under Secretary Rajiv Kumar Nigam wrote to the State Chief Secretary that the Home Ministry (Police-1 Division) had taken note of the preliminary inquiry report against Mr. Venkateswara Rao in which the State government had alleged that he had committed irregularities in the procurement of Aerostat and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles at a cost of ₹25.50 crore under the Modernisation of Police Services Scheme during 2017-2018.
Further, prima facie evidence had been established on his “grave misconduct and irregularities”.
The Home Ministry said the State government had even directed the ACB to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit the report.
Mr. Rao, an IPS officer of the 1989 batch, had handled key portfolios during the TDP term. He was Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada, during 2014-2016 after being promoted as ADGP.
Mr. Rao assumed charge as ADGP of Intelligence after the sudden transfer of A.R. Anuradha in the wake of the cash-for-vote case, in which the Telangana ACB had caught former TDP leader Revanth Reddy on the charge of giving a bribe of ₹50 lakh to an MLC in Hyderabad.
