It has been more than three weeks since senior IPS officer and former intelligence chief of Andhra Pradesh A B Venkateshwar Rao was reinstated in service by the state government after the Supreme Court upheld the high court judgement revoking his suspension.
On May 18, state chief secretary Sameer Sharma issued the orders revoking the suspension and asking Venkateshwara Rao to report to the duty at General Administration Department. But till date, he has not been given any posting.
Venkateshwara Rao wrote to the chief secretary twice and even tried to meet him personally, but he did not get the audience. On Thursday, he wrote yet another letter to Sameer Sharma asking for posting.
He said he had written several letters and reminders, quoting the high court and Supreme Court directions, but they have not been implemented so far.
“Even though my suspension was revoked erroneously, with effect from February 8, 2022, the same was not given effect to by posting me to a substantive post till now,” he said.
Even though the government issued orders calling for drawing and disbursals of his salary and allowances, the same was neither drawn nor disbursed till today, he said.
“This is to request you to take necessary action in this regard to ensure Rule of Law and to conduct administration by way of rules and procedures,” he said in the letter.
The order issued by the government on May 18 said the former state intelligence would be getting full salary and other benefits with effect from February 8.
The Supreme Court on April 22 ordered that the state government revoke Venkateshwara Rao’s suspension and directed that the state government take him back into service immediately.
A division bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justice A M Khanwilkar, Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice C T Ravi Kumar, dismissed a special leave petition of the state government challenging the high court’s order quashing his suspension.
The state government also sought further extension of the suspension of Venkateshwar Rao and said an appropriate order from the Centre was awaited.
The Supreme Court bench, however, felt that the continuation of suspension for more than two years was against the principles of natural justice.
Stating that Rao cannot be kept under suspension beyond the stipulated period of two years, the Supreme Court bench ordered that he should be taken back into service immediately.
The Supreme Court also directed that Venkateshwara Rao is eligible for salary and allowances with effect from February 7, 2022, the date on which his suspension period ended.
