AP govt. lifts AB Venkateswara Rao's suspension, directs him to report to GAD

The Andhra Pradesh government has lifted that suspension on Former intelligence chief IPS AB Venkateswara Rao's suspension and issued orders to this effect stating that he was being taken back into service.

The government also stated that the latter will be reinstated into services from February 8, 2022 and instructed him to report to GAD until further orders.It is known that ABV was sacked by the AP government on February 8, 2020 on charges of violating the Terms of Service and making decisions. It is learned that the government had shunted down Venkateswara Rao for alleged irregularities in the procurement of security equipment during his tenure as intelligence chief.

The supreme court refused to intervene in the petition filed by the AP government challenging the High Court judgment of quashing the suspension on him. With that, his suspension was lifted. ABV concluded the hearing of the petition by stating that the suspension was no longer valid as the suspension expired on February 1 this year.

The two-judge bench of the court said that the respondent (ABV) should be recognised as having been in service since February 8 and should be given the benefits due to him. The AP government has recently taken a fresh decision to lift the suspension on ABV in the wake of this.