Andhra govt suspends three senior IPS officials over ‘harassing’ a model

PTI, Sep 15, 2024, 8:47 PM IST

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday issued separate orders suspending three senior IPS officers, including a DG rank, for their alleged involvement in “hastily arresting” and “harassing” a Mumbai-based actor-cum-model without proper investigation in a case filed against her.

Former intelligence chief P Sitharama Anjaneyulu (DG rank), former Vijayawada Police Commissioner Kranti Rana Tata (IG rank) and Vishal Gunni (SP rank), then Deputy Commissioner of Police (Vijayawada) were suspended after an inquiry revealing their role in the alleged harassment of the model.

She accused the police officials of threatening her with dire consequences during the previous government if she did not withdraw a case she earlier filed against a top executive of a corporation in Mumbai.

“The government, after careful consideration of the report and having due regard to the circumstances of the case, came to a conclusion that there is prima facie evidence and that the disciplinary proceedings are warranted for his grave misconduct and dereliction of duty and therefore, consider it necessary to initiate disciplinary proceedings and to place Sri P Sitharama Anjaneyulu, IPS (1992), under suspension,” said one of the GOs.

The model was arrested earlier this year during the previous regime based on a complaint by a YSR Congress leader who accused her of cheating.

The then intelligence chief, instructed the two other officials to arrest her, although no crime registered against her as of that date.

According to the GO, as per the records, the FIR was registered against the model on February 2 at 6.30AM, whereas Anjaneyulu passed on instructions to Kanthi Rana Tata and Vishal Gunni on January 31 well before registering the FIR.

She recently lodged a complaint against some police officials alleging that a false case was foisted against her and that she was subjected to harassment.

Based on her complaint with AP police, the state government suspended two officials.

The three officials were among those 16 IPS officers who were issued a memo directing them to mark their ‘attendance’ in DGP’s office twice a day, without any post.

During the assembly poll campaign in April, the TDP pointing fingers at Anjaneyulu, alleged that the previous YSR Congress government was tapping the phone of its general secretary Nara Lokesh, using Pegasus spy software.