Senior Andhra Police Officer Suspended Over "Acts Of Treason"

A senior IPS officer in Andhra Pradesh has been suspended and accused of "acts of treason" towards the nation. AB Venkateswara Rao, a senior IPS officer of the rank of Director General of Police, had endangered national security by "willfully disclosing intelligence protocols and procedures of the police to a foreign defence manufacturing firm", a government order said on Saturday.

During his suspension, Mr Rao, a 1989 batch officer, will be posted at Vijayawada and he cannot leave the city without obtaining permission from the government.

NDTV has accessed the documents on the investigation against the officer. The report states that Mr Rao colluded with an Israeli defence equipment manufacturer called RT Inflatables Private Limited to illegally award critical intelligence and surveillance contract to his son Chetan Sai Krishna. His son was the CEO of Akasam Advanced Systems Pvt. Ltd, which was the primary bidder on behalf of RT Inflatables Pvt. Ltd.

The probe report says there is evidence of "grave misconduct and irregularities willfully committed by the accused officer resulting out of conscious and premeditated act of treason towards the state and nation".

Mr Rao, considered the ''Man Friday'' of former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, was removed as the Intelligence chief after the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy took charge on May 30 last year. Ever since, he has not been given a posting.

The probe document claims that Mr Rao actions "could critically hamper security situation as use of sub-standard equipment by police force may put them in a dangerous situation, through access to state secrets and potential monopoly over future procurements of Andhra Pradesh police due to access to insider information".

All this "was done for pecuniary gain involving his son by raising a proxy company to make monetary gains", the report adds.

Mr Rao, in a statement, said that he was exploring legal options. "I am not distressed by it, so don't worry about it. I am exploring legal options. Truth will be revealed in due course," he said.

The Telugu Desam Party has alleged that the ruling party is taking political revenge by targeting the officer though the government insists the suspension is based on evidence gathered through investigation.