The Hyderabad City Police, which suspended Marredpally Station House Officer Koratla Nageswara Rao following allegations of attempt to murder, kidnap and raping a woman in July, dismissed him from the service on Monday.
The Competent Authority, for his ‘dismissal from service’ without an inquiry, invoked Telangana State Civil Services (CCA) Rules, 1991, and the Article 311 (2) (b) of the Constitution of India.
Mr. Rao was booked by the Vanasthalipuram police on charges of house trespass after preparation for hurt, raping a woman, attempt to murder, kidnap and for contravention of Arms licence.
The officer, the rape survivor and her husband in their petition to the police alleged, had threatened them with dire consequences. He allegedly used his service weapon, forced them into his car and was on the way out of the city when the vehicle reportedly met with an accident near Ibrahimpatnam, and the man and the wife had a lucky escape.
The survivor’s husband later appeared before media persons and narrated the incident and expressed threat to their life. He explained his association with the officer from the time he was allegedly falsely booked in a case, made to work on his property, among other violations.
Hyderabad City Police Commissioner C.V. Anand had placed Mr. Rao on suspension, and soon a case was also registered against him. The officer who went absconding following the developments surrendered before the L.B. Nagar police later.
He was remanded in judicial custody for over two months, and on September 28 he was released on conditional bail.
Dismissal without inquiry
The police stated that it was “not reasonably practicable” to conduct a regular departmental inquiry as per the Rules, because there is every possibility that he may intimidate and influence the victim.
“He has a criminal bent of mind which is amply proved and he can go to any extent to threaten, influence and intimidate the victims and witnesses. Moreover, the regular department inquiry may take a long time. Therefore, there will be no atmosphere to conduct free and fair inquiry,” the statement read.
