Vijayawada: The Supreme Court on Friday revoked an order issued by the Andhra Pradesh government to suspend the then intelligence chief A.B. Venkateswara Rao. The court also ordered the state government to him to the government service in its final order.
A division bench comprising Justices A.M. Khanwilkar, Abhay S. Oka and C.T. Ravi Kumar heard the special leave petition filed by the AP government for the second consecutive day on Friday, challenging the AP High Court's stay order on the suspension of the senior IPS officer.
The court revoked the suspension order as the AP government failed to submit requisite details on the extension of the suspension period beyond two years.
The court said that the two-year suspension period was over on February 7, 2020, and from the next day onwards, all service benefits were applicable to him.
Later, Rao told media persons in New Delhi that the Supreme Court revoked the suspension order issued against him by the AP government.
He said that the apex court struck down an SLP filed by the AP government on his suspension from service and upheld the AP High Court's verdict issued on May 22, 2020, stating that the suspension was illegal.
Rao was placed under suspension on the charges of committing irregularities in the purchase of security equipment flouting the norms while serving as the intelligence chief.
