Even as the reports over procurement of spyware during the Chandrababu Naidu regime kicked up a political row, noose appears to be tightening around senior IPS officer A B Venkateshwara Rao, who served as intelligence chief during the Naidu period.
According to the latest reports, the Union home ministry has written to the state government upholding the latter’s decision to dismiss Venkateshwara Rao from the service in connection with the alleged violation of rules in procuring security systems from Israel during his regime.
In August 2021, the Jagan government sent the proposals for awarding major penalty (dismissal) to Venkateshwar Rao to the Union home ministry, along with the chargesheet filed against him, comprising the allegations against him and the outcome of the inquiries done so far.
The order said Venkateshwar Rao was unfit to continue in the service and therefore, he had to be dismissed from service forthwith.
Since the Centre is the ultimate authority to take a decision on all India service officers, it would examine the allegations made by the Centre and take an appropriate decision.
A couple of days ago, the Centre replied to the state to go ahead with its penal action against ABV. It has observed that the ex-intelligence chief had not taken any permission from the defence ministry for importing defence products from Israel.
It amounted to jeopardising the country’s security interests and also leakage of intelligence protocol and procedures to the foreign companies.
Under these circumstances, the Union home ministry endorsed ABV’s expulsion from service and also his prosecution based on the charge sheet.
Last year, the Jagan government issued an order appointing senior IAS officer R P Sisodia as an inquiry officer to probe into the charges framed against Venkateshwara Rao, especially with regard to those filed under Rule 8 of All India Service (Conduct) Rules 1968.
The government has also appointed an advocate to argue on behalf of the government before the inquiry officer on the charges against the IPS officer.
In April this year, the state government issued notice to Venkateswara Rao seeking explanation from him in 30 days for his remarks against the service rules of the All India Service Officers.
The government took strong exception to Venkateswara Rao’s statement before the media on April 4, 2021, after attending enquiry before the enquiry officer, wherein the officer made allegations against the government and senior officers in violation of the service rules.
The government enclosed the media reports and audio clips of Venkateswara Rao’s statement, where he also referred to the murder of Y S Vivekananda Reddy.
The senior police officer also made derogatory remarks against the inquiry officers in his case, and said that he was implicated in the cases with mala fide intention.
The senior IPS officer was close to former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and who played key role in the defection of 23 MLAs from the YSR Congress to the then ruling TDP in 2017-18.
He was suspended on February 8 last year for his alleged irregularities in procurement of security equipment from an Israeli company during his tenure.
The Jagan government, which entrusted the case to Anti-Corruption Bureau, alleged that Rao had wilfully disclosed intelligence protocols and procedures of police to the foreign defence manufacturing firm.
