Vijayawada: AP Director-General of Police R.P. Thakur told the Election Commission about the transfer of A.B. Venkateswara Rao and other issues on Thursday. The government had transferred Mr Rao only after the AP High Court refused to stay the Election Commission action.
The EC appointed Dr Shankha Brata Bagchi, director of the ACB, as Director General of the anti-corruption agency on Thursday evening. Mr Thakur was also heading the ACB besides the police force.
A government order, RT No. 798, was issued on Thursday relieving Mr Thakur as DG, ACB, and appointing Dr Bagchi.
Earlier, AP chief secretary Anil Chandra Punetha was summoned by the EC which sought an explanation about the cancellation of the its order regarding the transfer of Mr Rao. It summoned Mr Thakur to explain the AP government’s action of issuing a GO cancelling the transfer of Mr Rao that it had ordered.
The YSRC had lodged a complaint against Mr Thakur, Mr Rao and superintendents of police Rahul Dev Sharma (Kadapa) and A. Venkat Ratnam (Srikalulam) among others. The EC had transferred the three officers but allowed Mr Thakur to continue as head of the police force.
The TD leaders objected to the transfers and the AP government questioned the EC action in transfering Mr Rao as DG Intelligence, saying he was not connected with the elections.
The AP government also filed a petition in the AP High Court which refused to stay the transfer. Following this, the government attacked Mr Rao to the headquarters.
According to reports, ECI inquired about the violation of norms in the transfer of police officials and collected an explanation from Mr Thakur.
