Amaravati: Senior Andhra Pradesh cadre IPS officers Kanthi Rana Tata and Vishal Gunni have returned to service more than two years after they were suspended in connection with the controversial arrest of Mumbai-based actor-model Kadambari Jethwani in February 2024.
The Andhra Pradesh government revoked their suspensions on September 3, 2026, and subsequently issued fresh postings for the two officers on September 20.
Mr Tata, a 2004-batch IPS officer, has been appointed Inspector General of Police, Directorate of Traffic Management and Road Safety, while Mr Gunni, a 2010-batch officer, has been posted as Deputy Inspector General of Police, Training, with additional charge as Director of the Andhra Pradesh Police Academy (APPA).
However, the reinstatement does not amount to closure of the case. The government’s orders specifically state that the revocation of suspension is “without prejudice to the ongoing disciplinary and criminal proceedings” against the officers.
The controversy dates back to the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government and concerns allegations about the manner in which Jethwani and her parents were arrested in Mumbai in February 2024 in connection with a land-related criminal case registered in Andhra Pradesh.
Three IPS Officers Were Suspended in September 2024
On September 15, 2024, the Chandrababu Naidu-led Andhra Pradesh government suspended three senior IPS officers in connection with the case.
They were P. Sitharama Anjaneyulu, a 1992-batch IPS officer and then former DGP (Intelligence); Kanthi Rana Tata, a 2004-batch IPS officer and former Vijayawada Police Commissioner; and Vishal Gunni, a 2010-batch IPS officer and former Deputy Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada.
The action was taken under Rule 3(1) of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, following allegations of misconduct and dereliction of duty in the handling of the case involving Jethwani. Contemporary reports said the government’s action followed an inquiry into allegations concerning the investigation and arrest.
The suspension orders alleged that the officers had failed to follow due procedure in dealing with the case and had acted with undue haste in Jethwani’s arrest.
What Happened to Kadambari Jethwani?
Jethwani, a Mumbai-based actor and model and former Miss Gujarat, became embroiled in a criminal case in Andhra Pradesh involving an alleged land transaction near Vijayawada.
She was arrested in Mumbai on February 2, 2024, along with her parents, and was subsequently brought to Andhra Pradesh. She later alleged that the case against her was fabricated and that the police action was connected to efforts to pressure her in relation to a separate case she had filed in Mumbai against a prominent industrialist.
According to reports, Jethwani approached the Andhra Pradesh police in August 2024 after the YSRCP lost power in the state elections. She alleged that senior police officials and others had conspired with businessman and YSRCP leader Kukkala Vidyasagar to implicate her in a false case involving forgery and extortion.
Jethwani also alleged that she was pressured to withdraw or compromise her Mumbai case against the industrialist. She told the media at the time that there was a “higher level of political influence, money and power” involved in the matter. The allegations against the officers and others remain subject to the ongoing legal and disciplinary processes.
What Did the Suspension Orders Allege?
The suspension orders provided a detailed account of the sequence of events leading to Jethwani’s arrest.
According to the orders, on January 31, 2024, then Intelligence DGP P. Sitharama Anjaneyulu called then Vijayawada Police Commissioner Kanthi Rana Tata and then DCP Vishal Gunni to the Chief Minister’s Office and instructed them to arrest Jethwani.
The orders alleged that this instruction was given even though no crime had been registered against Jethwani at that point.
The FIR was subsequently registered at Ibrahimpatnam Police Station on the morning of February 2, 2024. According to the government’s account, Tata was alleged to have enabled the arrest, while Gunni travelled to Mumbai on February 2 and proceeded with the arrest on the basis of oral instructions.
The allegations were serious because they concerned the sequence in which the police acted — particularly whether steps leading to the arrest were initiated before the registration of the FIR and whether the officers had followed the required investigative and procedural safeguards.
A Central Administrative Tribunal record in Gunni’s case also records the government’s contention that the FIR was registered at 6:30 am on February 2, 2024, after which Gunni proceeded to Mumbai at around 7:30 am, allegedly acting on earlier oral instructions and without written instructions from his superiors. The government characterised the alleged conduct as grave misconduct and dereliction of duty.
Why Did the Naidu Government Take Action?
The suspension came after the change of government in Andhra Pradesh in 2024.
The Naidu-led TDP government alleged that several senior police officers had acted in accordance with the directions of political leaders during the previous YSRCP administration and, in some cases, had deviated from established procedures.
Tata, Gunni and Anjaneyulu were among more than 20 IPS officers who were awaiting postings after the Naidu government came to power in June 2024. The new government had raised questions about the previous roles of several officers and their alleged proximity to leaders of the outgoing YSRCP government.
These were political allegations made by the new ruling establishment, while the specific administrative and criminal allegations against the officers are being dealt with through formal proceedings.
Officers Had Already Been Removed During Elections
The three officers had faced action even before their formal suspensions in September 2024.
During the 2024 Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, Anjaneyulu and Tata were relieved of their posts in April 2024 following Election Commission intervention after the stone-pelting incident in Vijayawada in which then Chief Minister and YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was injured.
Gunni, who was serving as DIG, Visakhapatnam, was relieved of that position on July 12, 2024, after the TDP-led alliance came to power.
The subsequent suspension of all three officers in September was specifically linked to the allegations surrounding the Jethwani case.
Anjaneyulu Retired While Under Suspension
The third officer in the case, P. Sitharama Anjaneyulu, followed a different trajectory.
A 1992-batch IPS officer, Anjaneyulu had served as Intelligence DGP during the final years of the previous YSRCP government. He had also served in the Border Security Force before returning to the state cadre.
His suspension continued until his retirement. He retired from service on August 31, 2026, while still under suspension.
Anjaneyulu was also arrested by the Andhra Pradesh police in April 2025 in connection with the Jethwani case and was subsequently released on bail. His retirement means that, unlike Tata and Gunni, he will not return to a new posting in the state police establishment.
Suspension Was Extended Repeatedly
Tata and Gunni remained under suspension for nearly two years.
Their suspension periods were repeatedly extended under the All India Services disciplinary rules, with the latest extension valid until September 4, 2026.
The government ultimately decided to revoke the suspension just before the latest period was due to end. The revocation orders were issued on September 3, with Tata reinstated from September 4 and Gunni from September 5.
In Tata’s case, the government considered a representation submitted by him on August 24, 2026, along with the report submitted by DGP Harish Kumar Gupta. In Gunni’s case, the government cited circumstances reported by the DGP/Head of Police Force.
Reinstatement Does Not End the Proceedings
One of the most important aspects of the latest decision is that reinstatement should not be interpreted as exoneration.
The government has explicitly made the restoration of the officers to service without prejudice to the disciplinary and criminal proceedings pending against them.
In other words, Tata and Gunni can resume official duties while the separate proceedings arising from the allegations continue.
This distinction is significant because the suspension was an administrative measure pending proceedings, whereas the criminal and departmental processes concern the allegations and potential responsibility arising from the conduct under investigation. The government has not stated that those proceedings have been withdrawn or closed.
New Postings for Tata and Gunni
The state government’s September 20 transfer orders have now given both officers defined responsibilities.
Kanthi Rana Tata, who previously served as Vijayawada Police Commissioner, has been appointed IG of Police, Directorate of Traffic Management and Road Safety.
Vishal Gunni has been appointed DIG, Training, and given the additional responsibility of Director, Andhra Pradesh Police Academy.
The fresh postings came roughly two weeks after their suspensions were revoked.
The same reshuffle also involved several other IPS officers, including appointments in the Forensic Science Laboratory, CID Cyber Crime, Railways, Women Safety, Technical Services and newly created or reorganised district police posts.
What Happens Next?
The reinstatement brings an end to the officers’ period of suspension but not to the controversy surrounding the Jethwani case.
The criminal case and departmental proceedings remain separate from the government’s decision to restore the two officers to service. The allegations concerning the manner of Jethwani’s arrest, the instructions allegedly given before registration of the FIR, and the role of the three senior officers will therefore continue to be examined through the relevant legal and administrative processes.
For Tata and Gunni, the immediate development is their return to active service after nearly two years. For the Andhra Pradesh government, the September decision represents a move from prolonged suspension to allowing the officers to serve while the pending proceedings run their course.
