Ex-ADG CID N Sanjay who probed against Andhra CM Naidu during YSRCP rule suspended

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government has suspended the IPS officer who supervised the probe against the then opposition leader and current Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu during the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy's government.

Former Additional Director General, Crime Investigation Department (CID), N Sanjay has been placed under suspension for violation of conduct rules. Sanjay is the prime accused in the misappropriation of government funds case.

On Tuesday evening, the General Administration Department issued an order, placing the former Chief of Crime Investigation Department (CID) under suspension under Rule 3 (1) of All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969. He has been asked not to leave Vijayawada without obtaining the permission of the government.

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.

#AndhraPradesh----

Former Addl. Director General, Crime Investigation Department (CID) N Sanjay has been placed under suspension for violation of conduct rules. pic.twitter.com/IDpMDsWJeq

— NewsMeter (@NewsMeter_In) December 4, 2024

Funds misuse for AGNI portal:

It has been found that 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 AGNI-NOC web portal and supply of hardware. They 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 MOS sanctioned the payment order, 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, making it 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.

Misappropriation of funds:

The government has also observed that Sanjay, the then Director General of Fire Services, Andhra Pradesh, procured eight Microsoft Surface Pro 8 devices and 02 Nos of 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 supply and delivery of the laptops were entrusted to Sauthrika Technologies & Infra Pvt. Ltd., and an amount of Rs.17,89,784 was paid to the vendor without any competitive price. The payment of Rs.17,89,784 for the procurement of 10

Laptops at the rate of Rs. 1,78,978 per piece is highly exorbitant and no bills were submitted. This procurement of laptops and iPads without any tenders or competitive bids is against the rules in vogue.

Sanjay hurriedly made payment causing misappropriation of funds by abuse of office power and breach of public trust.

Other Irregularities :

1. Sanjay, the then Additional Director General, CID is found to be responsible for the irregularities in the tender process violation of government orders, making payment of Rs.1,19,03,600 in the SC & ST awareness program to Kritvyap Technologies Private Limited, Hyderabad who incurred a mere expenditure of Rs.3,10,000/- with the support of Agreement Concluding Authority for the entire workshop, which lead to embezzlement of Government funds to a tune of Rs.1,15,93,600.

2. For works costing more than Rs 50 lakh, the tender notices have to be published in one Telugu daily and one English daily having the largest circulation at the state level. However, on verification of the record, it is found that no record about the publication of tender notice in the newspapers is available, which is again a violation of government orders.

3. It was found that the MoS had not evolved pre-qualification bids (PQBs) eligibility criteria before opening the Technical as well as Commercial bids, which led to entrustment to a non-existing shell company `Kritvyap Technologies Private Limited’, Hyderabad.

4. Sanjay issued a work order to Kritvyap Technologies Private Limited Hyderabad in January 2024 and conducted the SC & ST awareness workshop within 10 days, entered into an agreement, and made for amounts of Rs 59,52,500 & Rs.59,51,100 towards the SC & ST awareness workshop. However, it was found that there was no such company at the address given by Kritvyap Technologies Pvt. Ltd., in Hyderabad. Surprisingly Sauthrika Technologies Pvt.Ltd, Hyderabad is located in the said office address.

5. It was found that Kritvyap Technologies Private Limited, Hyderabad has not taken part in conducting the awareness program, which is highly irregular as per tender conditions.