In a sudden and surprising decision, the Telangana government on Wednesday transferred firebrand IPS officer V C Sajjannar from the post of Cyberabad police commissioner.
The 1996-batch IPS officer has been shifted to transport, roads and buildings department and posted as vice-chairman and managing director of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC), which is in a state of financial crisis.
Sajjannar’s sudden transfer was a shock to many, as he was hailed as the most successful commissioner of Cyberabad.
He won a lot of appreciation from all quarters after the encounter killing of four people who were accused in the rape and murder of a veterinarian Disha at Shamshabad in November 2019.
In place of Sajjannar, the government appointed another senior IPS officer M Stephen Ravindra as Cyberabad police commissioner.
Ravindra is presently inspector-general of police looking after West Zone in Hyderabad.
Stephen Ravindra, who worked as chief security officer of former chief minister of combined Andhra Pradesh Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, is said to be closer to YSR family.
He played a major role in crushing the separate Telangana movement between 2009-13.
In fact, soon after assuming power in Andhra Pradesh in May 2019, present chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy wanted to appoint Stephen Ravindra as his intelligence chief and got a green signal from Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
Even before his appointment, Stephen Ravindra made a couple of visits to Amaravati to assert his position, but the Centre has not cleared his deputation from Telangana to Andhra, despite hectic lobbying by Jagan.
As a result, he stayed back in Telangana.