ACB books ex-ADG CID N Sanjay, who probed against CM Naidu during YSRCP rule, for graft

Amaravati: Anti-Corruption Bureau has booked senior IPS officer N Sanjay, who supervised the probe against the then opposition leader and current Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu during the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy's government, for allegedly misappropriating Rs 1.76 crore.

On December 4, the Andhra Pradesh government suspended Sanjay. He headed the CID in the Jagan government.in 2023 when Niadu was arrested.

Anti-Corruption Bureau registered the case against him for allegedly manipulating the processes involved in awarding contract work to develop and maintain the AGNI–NOC (Automated Governance & NOC Integration) web portal, mobile app, and other services.

"It is submitted that N Sanjay, IPS, formerly Director General of AP State Disaster Response & Fire Services, manipulated the tender processes to award the contract work for the AGNI–NOC web portal, mobile app, and supply of hardware to Sauthrika Technologies & Infra Pvt Ltd," said the FIR.

Funds misuse for AGNI portal:

It has been found that IPS officer Sanjay, while working as Director General, AP State Disaster Response & Fire Services, floated tenders and shortlisted Sauthrika Technologies & Infra Pvt., Ltd., Prasadampadu, Vijayawada, for a bid amount of Rs 2,29,61,000 for the supply of the AGNI-NOC web portal and hardware, and agreed in February 2023.

Sauthrika Technologies & Infra Pvt. Ltd. requested a payment of Rs.59,93,000 for 50% of the development of the AGNI-NOC.

Web Portal & Mobile App, and Rs.29,25,000 for the supply of 150 tablets for AGNI App usage). The payment order was sanctioned and cheques were issued to the vendor.

However, as per the technical committee's report in April, the project was far from being considered implemented, with only 14% of the work completed by then. Thus, it is difficult to consider the application as having begun being used.

The technical Committee also stated that, according to the agreement, the vendor was required to deliver the completed software within two months i.e., by April 15, 2023, from the date of the agreement i.e., February 15, 2023. However, the vendor has not completed the work. Therefore, it is considered that the vendor failed to meet the deadline.

According to the ACB, Sanjay "dishonestly and fraudulently" facilitated the payment of Rs 60 lakh to Sauthrika Technologies & Infra on February 22, 2023, just one week after agreeing on February 15, 2023.

The ACB alleged that the suspended officer purchased 10 laptops from the same company at an exorbitant price of Rs 18 lakh without calling for tenders through e-procurement.

Additionally, the ACB claimed that while working as the Additional Director General of CID in 2023, Sanjay ‘connived’ with others to manipulate the tender processes and award the contract for conducting awareness meetings on the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act to Kritvyap Technologies Pvt Ltd.

The ACB stated that Kritvyap Technologies Pvt Ltd "did not exist" but allegedly received Rs 1.19 crore, facilitated by Sanjay.

The government has also observed that Sanjay, the then Director General of Fire Services, Andhra Pradesh, procured eight Microsoft Surface Pro 8 devices and two Apple iPad Pro devices for FSOG-level officers of the Andhra Pradesh Fire Department, for the implementation of the "AGNI App" using funds from the A.P.F.S. filling station in Kaikaluru.

For the procurement of laptops and iPads, the MoS, neither tenders were called for through e-procurement nor obtained competitive quotations from different vendors or firms.

The IPS officer has been booked under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and relevant IPC sections.

It may be recalled that, during the previous regime of the YSR Congress Party, Sanjay as the CID Chief supervised the probe into the cases related to the Andhra Pradesh Skill Development Corporation scam and alignment of Amaravati Inner Ring Road, against Nara Chandrababu Naidu. These cases resulted in the arrest of Naidu who spent nearly two months in jail.

After Nara Chandrababu Naidu assumed office as the Chief Minister in June following the electoral victory of the TDP-led NDA, Sanjay was transferred and asked to report to the office of the DGP.