Suspended Andhra IPS officer gets relief from CAT

After hearing arguments, the CAT (Hyderabad Bench) passed an interim order suspending the government order issued by the Andhra Pradesh government against ASP B Naveen Kumar.

The GO, issued on September 3, placed Kumar, posted at Rampachodavaram sub-division in East Godavari district, under suspension based on an inquiry conducted by Eluru Range Deputy Inspector General G Suryaprakasa Rao. It said the action against the police officer was taken in "public interest".

The 2008-batch officer in August last week went public with his allegations that East Godavari Superintendent of Police C M Trivikrama Varma, his immediate superior, was hand-in-glove with the ganja smuggling gangs.

Kumar also alleged that Varma tried to "eliminate" him by causing an accident to his official jeep and claimed the SP was putting pressure on him to not to deal with cases of ganja smuggling and release some of the people held for drug trade.

He yesterday approached the CAT terming the government order as "illegal, arbitrary, suffering from malice and contrary" to the settled principles of law of Rule 3 of All India (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969 and demanded that it be set aside.

The suspension was only on the ground that he had approached the media over allegations against senior police officials and it was solely based on the report of DIG (Eluru Range) which was prepared without conducting a proper inquiry, Kumar had contended in his petition to the CAT.