ABV demands payment of salary from February 8, 2020, court expenses

VIJAYAWADA: A day after the State government revoked his suspension, former Intelligence chief AB Venkateswara Rao visited the Secretariat to report to Chief Secretary  Sameer Sharma on Thursday. After reporting to the General Administration Department (GAD), Rao spoke to the media and said he acted as per law, rules and rights which he is entitled as an IPS officer to prove his innocence in the case registered against him under the charges of treason and suspension for alleged violation of rule 3(1) of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules 1969. 

He claimed that as per the High Court order dated May 22, 2020, his suspension should be revoked with effect from February 8, 2020 and not from February 8, 2022 and the government should pay him pending salary and other allowances for the entire period. 

“I tried to submit a representation to the CS seeking modification in the order issued by him revoking my suspension. Had he given me an appointment, he would have understood the purpose of my visit. But it is understood that he has no interest in meeting me. He instructed me to hand over the reporting letter to his subordinate. In addition, I want to highlight the fact that the government should pay me salary from 2020 and not from 2022 as ordered by the HC whose stand upheld by the Supreme Court by dismissing the SLP filed by the government challenging HC order,” he stated. 

He further said the SC judgement setting aside the SLP had cleared the air on allegations levelled against him. Rao said he will approach the HC if the government fails to credit his pending salary as per the court order. Rao wrote another letter to the CS requesting him to compensate his court expenses and advocate fee.