At last, the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government on Wednesday revoked suspension of senior IPS officer and former Andhra Pradesh intelligence chief A B Venkateshwara Rao, following a direction from the Supreme Court last month.
Chief secretary Sameer Sharma issued orders to this effect, stating that Venkateshwar Rao would be reinstated from service with retrospective effect from February 8, 2022. He was asked to report to the General Administration Department until further orders.
The former state intelligence would be getting full salary and other benefits with effect from February 8, the order said.
The Supreme Court on April 22 ordered that the state government revoke Venkateshwara Rao’s suspension and directed that the state government take him back into service immediately.
A division bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justice A M Khanwilkar, Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice C T Ravi Kumar, dismissed a special leave petition of the state government challenging the high court’s order quashing his suspension.
The state government also sought further extension of the suspension of Venkateshwar Rao and said an appropriate order from the Centre was awaited.
The Supreme Court bench, however, felt that the continuation of suspension for more than two years was against the principles of natural justice.
Stating that Rao cannot be kept under suspension beyond the stipulated period of two years, the Supreme Court bench ordered that he should be taken back into service immediately.
The Supreme Court also directed that Venkateshwara Rao is eligible for salary and allowances with effect from February 7, 2022, the date on which his suspension period ended.
Venkateshwara Rao had written to chief secretary Sameer Sharma a few weeks ago that he be reinstated in service, as his suspension period had come to an end by February 8.
After the Supreme Court judgement, too, he wrote to Sameer Sharma twice and also went to the state secretariat twice to meet the CS. Finally, the chief secretary revoked the suspension.
It is unlikely that the Venkateshwara Rao would be given any big posting that suits his cadre. He would be either kept idle or given a loopline post.
There is already a case of indiscipline and violation of service rules against him and taking advantage of it, he might be suspended from the service afresh on disciplinary grounds.
In any case, Venkateshwara Rao would attain the age of superannuation by May 2024, when the next elections are due. Till such time, the chief minister might not allow him to continue in any big post.