The Andhra Pradesh High Court has quashed the charges against A.B. Venkateswara Rao, the former Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) in the Intelligence Department, who was accused of misusing his office to benefit a third party, allegedly managed by his son. The charges were related to the procurement of surveillance equipment and caused a significant loss to the state exchequer.
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Rao faced serious allegations under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code. He was accused of benefiting a company run by his son, facilitating the procurement of surveillance equipment from an Israeli company, and causing a loss of Rs. 10 lakh. The case centered around accusations that Rao’s actions were aimed at diverting public funds for personal gain.
However, the Andhra Pradesh High Court, in a ruling delivered by Justice Harinath N, highlighted the importance of the Intelligence Department in maintaining law and order. Justice Harinath emphasized that upgrading the surveillance system was a necessary duty of the ADGP, especially to meet the evolving demands of modern-day security.
In its detailed judgment, the Court noted:
“Maintenance of Law and Order would largely depend on the inputs of the Intelligence Department. The intelligence inputs of the Intelligence Department play a crucial role in crime prevention, law enforcement, national security, internal security, counter-terrorism, and public order... The petitioner, as the then Head of the Intelligence Department, had the bounden duty to adopt the changing technology and attempted to upgrade the surveillance system of the state police.”
The Court dismissed the claims that Rao's actions had benefited his son’s company, Aakasham Advanced Systems, stating that the company was not the authorized representative of the Israeli firm in Andhra Pradesh. Furthermore, no evidence suggested that Rao had misappropriated funds or engaged in fraudulent activities.
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The Court also found that the assumption that Rao would gain undue benefits from the procurement process was speculative. It highlighted that there was no direct evidence to suggest any personal gain or fraud on the part of the petitioner.
In the Court’s words:
“The Charge sheet is filed on the presumption that the petitioner would be benefited by taking advantage of the purchase order issued by the State by showcasing it to other organizations and obtain purchase orders. Presumption of undue benefit to the petitioner cannot form basis for implicating the petitioner in a false case.”
The Court quashed the charges under several sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act. It found that the evidence did not support the allegations of misappropriation or fraud, thereby clearing the petitioner of all charges.
Case Details:
Case Number: CRIMINAL PETITION No. 4675 of 2022
Case Title: A.B.Venkateswara Rao, IPS v. The State of Andhra Pradesh
Date: 07.05.2025
