The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Hyderabad bench on Monday (29.04.2024) reserved its decision in the petition filed by IPS officer AB Venkateswara Rao (IPS:1989:AP) challenging the Andhra Pradesh government’s decision to suspend him on the same charges of alleged irregularities in purchase of surveillance equipment twice. The CAT has also directed the state government to provide audio/video evidence from a press meet conducted by the officer.
Earlier, his suspension order was overturned by the Supreme Court, which stipulated that the state government cannot keep him under suspension for more than two years. However, shortly after being reinstated, Rao was suspended again on the same grounds, citing pending criminal cases against him. In response, Rao sought relief from the CAT Bench.
During Monday’s proceedings, Advocate General Sriram appeared on behalf of the AP government to present arguments. He cited precedent from High Courts in Bombay, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, which upheld the suspension of All India services officials. Sriram emphasized that while Rao held a senior position, lower-level officials may not conduct a thorough investigation.
Furthermore, Sriram submitted that Rao had conducted press meets where he criticized the government and commented on the ongoing legal proceedings against him. Despite receiving show cause notices for these remarks, Rao allegedly failed to provide satisfactory responses, prompting the government’s decision to suspend him.
The Advocate General reiterated that the government’s actions were in accordance with disciplinary procedures. Additionally, he referenced Rao’s statements alleging that senior officials in the government were targeting him. According to the All India Service Rules, state governments possess the authority to suspend officials until all criminal charges are resolved.
