AP govt drops case against former ADGP Venkateswara Rao in security equipment tenders case

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government has dropped criminal proceedings against IPS officer AB Venkateswara Rao, former Additional Director General of Police, Intelligence (Retired).

During YSRCP regime, a case was registered by the ACB against Venkateswara Rao, the then ADGP, Intelligence Department, under Section 120-B, 420, 409 and 511 of IPC and also under Sections 13 (1) (d) R/w Section 15 of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 and also Section 7 (a) & (c) of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 (Amended) and took up investigation.

Subsequently, a chargesheet was filed by the ACB before the special judge for SPE and ACB cases, Vijayawada.

Venkateswara Rao has filed a criminal petition before the High Court of Andhra Pradesh seeking to quash the FIR on the file of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, CIU, Vijayawada. The High Court, while allowing the criminal petition, quashed the FIR on the file of the ACB, and subsequently the chargesheet.

The government, after careful examination of the matter, have concluded that it is not a fit case to prefer a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court challenging the impugned judgment in the Criminal Petition. The government have therefore decided to drop further action against Venkateswara Rao.

The case is about allegations of irregularities in security equipment procurement tenders during Venkateswara Rao’s tenure as Intelligence Chief.