Andhra’s ex-intel chief, who faced YSRCP heat over Pegasus and corruption allegations, gets TDP all-clear
State govt drops all further action against retired IPS officer A B Venkateswara Rao after High Court quashed FIR and chargesheet against him
Written by Sreenivas Janyala
Hyderabad | Updated: July 17, 2025 03:27 AM IST
4 min read
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AB Venkateswara Rao. (Source: Special Arrangement)
The Andhra Pradesh government has dropped all further action against retired IPS officer and former intelligence chief A B Venkateswara Rao after the High Court quashed an FIR and a chargesheet filed against him. Rao, an Additional Director General of Police officer, had been booked under charges including criminal conspiracy and cheating and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act during the tenure of the previous YSRCP government. He was also in the limelight when allegations emerged that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government between 2014 and 2019 had used the Pegasus spying software.
Rao has maintained that he was being targeted by the YSRCP as he was deemed close to TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu. A few days before the Assembly elections were held on April 11, 2019, the Election Commission of India had transferred Rao and asked him to report to its headquarters. The YSR Congress Party leaders had complained to the EC that some police officers were working in favour of the TDP government.
Rao had challenged his suspension in the High Court, the Supreme Court and the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which quashed his suspension and directed the YSRCP government to reinstate him. He was reinstated on May 31, 2024, and he retired the same day.
The YSRCP government had also filed a chargesheet against him in a local court in Vijayawada on May 18, 2024, in an alleged corruption case. However, both the FIR and the chargesheet were quashed by the High Court, said a government order issued on Tuesday.
Chief secretary K Vijayanand, in the order, said the TDP-led NDA government has reviewed the matter and come to the conclusion that it was not a fit case to file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court. “The government has therefore decided to drop further action against Rao,” said Vijayanand in the order.
During Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure, his government had also alleged that Rao was involved in irregularities in the purchase of surveillance equipment from an Israeli firm and in the award of a contract to a firm owned by his son.
In March 2022, the Andhra Pradesh Assembly passed a resolution to probe whether the previous TDP regime had purchased Israeli spyware, Pegasus. The resolution came as the ruling YSRCP told the House that it had taken note of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s comments that while her government had rejected an offer to buy Pegasus 4-5 years ago, the software had been acquired by Andhra Pradesh when Chandrababu Naidu was the CM.
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Just after this resolution was passed, Rao held a media conference in which he said that although NSO Group had approached the state government to sell Pegasus, it was rejected. He said that as he was the Intelligence chief at that time, it was his responsibility to respond to allegations and clear the air. Taking note of his media conference, the state government issued a show cause notice to Rao on April 5, stating that he violated Rule 6 of AIS Rules as he did not take permission from the state government to address a media conference.
In April 2022, the Supreme Court directed the state government to reinstate Rao and give him a posting. The state government appointed him commissioner of printing and stationery, but suspended him the same day for the same reasons.
This January, the TDP-led NDA government regularised Rao’s suspension and recognised it as time spent on duty. It enabled him to receive full pay for being on suspension from February 8, 2020, to February 7, 2022, and from June 28, 2022, to May 30, 2024.
Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance.
Expertise and Experience
Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues:
High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules.
Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes.
Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak.
Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More
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