Amaravati, Nov 28 (PTI) The Andhra Pradesh government has extended the suspension of senior IPS officer N Sanjay, who is currently under judicial custody over alleged graft, by another six months until May 26 next year.
Sanjay is accused of misappropriation and misuse of public funds in the work, development and maintenance of AGNI (automated governance & NoC integration) NoC web portal and other alleged issues while working as the director general of Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Response & Fire Services.
He is also accused of misappropriation of funds allotted for training of police personnel in creating awareness among SCs and STs about the rights of victims and rules of Prevention of Atrocities (POA) Act, 1989 while working as additional director general of police in the CID.
“Government hereby orders that suspension period of N Sanjay, IPS (1996) shall extend…for a further period of 180 days, up to May 26, 2026 or till further orders,” said chief secretary K Vijayanand in a government order (GO) on Thursday.
A review committee met on November 21 to take the call on Sanjay’s suspension and said as per the report of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) some more important witnesses have to be examined and some more documents relevant to the investigation have to be obtained.
“FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) reports with regard to the electronic devices and questioned documents have to be obtained,” said the GO, adding that Sanjay has been in judicial custody since August 26.
According to the GO, the review committee took cognizance of All India Services (AIS) (Discipline and Appeals) Rules, 1969, which mandate that the suspension period of a member of service on charges of corruption shall not exceed two years and the inquiry shall be completed and an appropriate order shall be issued within two years from the date of suspension.
In the event of failure of this condition, the suspension order shall automatically stand revoked. However, it can continue beyond two years only on the recommendations of the Central Ministry’s Review Committee, among other conditions, said the GO.
Section 3 (3) of the AIS Discipline and Appeal Rules mandated that a member of the service (IPS) against whom an investigation, inquiry or trial relating to criminal charge is pending may at the discretion of the government to be placed under suspension until the termination of all proceedings related to that charge.
It further states that the official may be suspended if the charge connected with his position as a member of the service is likely to embarrass him in the discharge of his duties or involves moral turpitude.
Sanjay headed the CID under the erstwhile YSRCP regime during N Chandrababu Naidu’s arrest in 2023. PTI STH ROH
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