Andhra Pradesh govt suspends 3 senior IPS officers for abuse of position in arresting Mumbai actress

Hyderabad: In an unprecedented move, Andhra Pradesh govt suspended three senior IPS officers for misconduct, abuse of official position and dereliction of duty in a case involving the arrest of Mumbai-based actress Kadambari Jethwani.

Acting on the recommendations of the state DGP, Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, on Sunday, state chief secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad issued three different GOs suspending senior IPS officers PSR Anjaneyulu, Kanthi Rana Tata, and Vishal Gunni. Last month, the DGP ordered an inquiry into reports of a false case against Kadambari Jethwani in February of this year.

These IPS officers had come under the scanner after they allegedly showed keen interest in registering a case against Kadambari and arresting her upon a complaint lodged by YSRCP leader Kukkala Vidyasagar, who alleged she had duped him over a property.

In February when Kadambari was arrested, Anjaneyulu was the state DGP – Intelligence, Kanthi Rana was Vijayawada city police commissioner and Vishal Gunni was Vijayawada DCP. The three IPS officers were considered close to the then YSRCP dispensation.

The actress had recently lodged a complaint with the Vijayawada police against her alleged illegal confinement by police in February. She claimed that they confined her to a guest house for three days before shifting her to remand.

The actress at the centre of this controversy is also the one who filed a complaint against a noted industrialist from Mumbai in December last year, alleging rape. After she had returned to Mumbai from Vijayawada in March after police confinement, Mumbai police had filed a closure report in the industrialist's case, citing she didn't turn up to record her statement.

The state CS in the suspension orders said the DGP has reported that Kanthi Rana Tata failed to properly supervise the investigation. “That the officer met the then Director General of Police, Intelligence on 31.01.2024 and acted hastily on his oral instructions. That on 31.01.2024 itself he has given oral instructions to the officers and instructed his CC to arrange flight tickets to Officers to fly to Mumbai. He cautiously did not give any written instructions nor any foreign passport and failed to pursue the case thoroughly before deputing a team of officers to arrest the accused to another state. Thus, he enabled and indulged in the illegal arrest of Kadambari Narendra Kumari Jethwani. The act of Kanthi Rana Tata, the then Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada Police Commissionerate amounts to grave misconduct and dereliction of duty,” said the GO in a report.

For Sitharama Anjaneyulu, the DGP said that on January 31, 2024, he had called Kanthi Rana Tata, Vishal Gunni to the CMO and instructed them to arrest Kadambari Narendra Kumari Jethwani, although no crime has been registered in this regard as on that date.

“That the record shows that the FIR is registered on 02.02.2024 at 6:30 am, whereas Sitharama Anjaneyulu, passed on instructions to Kanthi Rana Tata, and Vishal Gunni, on 31.01.2024 itself, i.e. well before registering the FIR. He initiated and pushed the case based on incomplete information, abusing his authority and official position and played key role in fast tracking the investigation without adequate scrutiny, which is nothing but connivance and misuse of power. The act of Sitharama Anjaneyulu, the then Director General of Police, Intelligence amounts to grave misconduct, misuse of official position and dereliction of duty,” said the GO in a report that was issued on Sunday suspending Anjaneyulu.

The inquiry report also said that Vishal Gunni failed to properly supervise the investigation. "That he did not ensure that the complaint was thoroughly examined and basic investigation was carried out, before issuing instructions to proceed with arrests. That the officer met the then Director General of Police, Intelligence on 31.01.2024, and upon the oral instructions, hastily proceeded to Mumbai on 02.02.2024 to effect arrests and arrested Kadambari Narendra Kumari Jethwani. That the act of Vishal Gunni amounts to grave misconduct and dereliction of duty. The DGP has further reported that the FIR was registered on 02.02.2024 at 6:30 am and as predetermined, Vishal Gunni proceeded to Mumbai on 02.02.2024 at 7:30 am, without any written instructions or without any foreign passport from his superior officers in this regard. That this conduct makes it extremely clear that action was initiated well before the crime was registered and that the officer was acting solely based on the prior instructions of the then Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada and the then Director General of Police, Intelligence issued on 31.01.2024 i.e. even before registration of the crime,” said the inquiry report.

It was further reported that he did not even claim the TA, though he went to Mumbai on official work. "That he failed to give an opportunity to the person/s arrested to give explanation, nor did he conduct any investigation before highhandedly arresting her. The whole act was carried out within few hours of registration of FIR, without proper documentary or material evidence, which is nothing but sheer disregard to the basic tenets of investigation,” said the report.

While PSR Anjaneyulu is a 1992 batch IPS officer, Kanthi Rana belonged to 2004 and Vishal Gunni 2010 batch.