The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on Tuesday fully supported the action of the Andhra Pradesh government suspending senior IPS officer A B Venkateswara Rao, the then Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence), on February 8 this year.
The CAT dismissed a petition filed by Rao challenging his suspension by the government.
Rao, who was suspended by the AP government this year for violating the code of conduct, had filed the petition challenging the suspension as illegal. However, the CAT dismissed his petition and declined to set aside the state government's order suspending the Director General of Police-rank officer.
The tribunal, which had reserved its order on Rao's petition on March 7, pronounced it today.
The Union Home Ministry had also earlier supported the AP government's decision to suspend the senior IPS officer, who is said to be close to TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu.
Rao was suspended by the state government under Rule 3(1) of All India Services Act, which states that every member of the service shall at all times maintain absolute protocol systems.
In its suspension order, the AP government had mentioned that Rao, who was then the Additional Director General of Police, was suspended for allegedly defrauding the state during the purchase of security equipment.
It was alleged that he had colluded with a foreign defence manufacturing company in suspicious deals worth Rs 25.50 crore ostensibly for the modernisation of the police department.
The CAT's order now clears the way for the ACB to probe the corruption and disproportionate assets charges.