The Andhra Pradesh government recently transferred three Indian Police Service officers who had been accused of targeting leaders of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), including its President N. Chandrababu Naidu, during the tenure of the YSR Congress Party.
After taking office as the Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu promptly reassigned these controversial officials, who were perceived as favoring the former ruling party.
The officers affected by the transfer are Kasi Reddy V. R. N. Reddy, who was serving as Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), P. V. Sunil Kumar, Director General of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Response Force and Fire Services, and Y. Rishanth Reddy, Superintendent of Police for the Counter Intelligence (CI) Cell.
V. R. N. Reddy, previously removed as Director General of Police (DGP) by the Election Commission of India just before the May 13 elections due to complaints from the TDP, has been reassigned as Commissioner for Printing, Stationery, and Stores Purchase, a position often considered less influential.
The other two officers have not received new postings. Sunil Kumar has been instructed to report to the General Administration Department (GAD), and Rishanth Reddy has been directed to report to the DGP office. Additionally, Rishanth Reddy has been relieved from his additional duties as SP of the Red Sanders Task Force.
V.R.N. Reddy was appointed as DGP by the previous administration in 2022, after serving as the DGP for Intelligence. His transfer was ordered by the Election Commission of India following TDP’s complaints about security lapses during a public meeting attended by the Prime Minister at Chilakaluripet. The TDP also suspected Reddy’s involvement in the alleged tapping of the phone of Nara Lokesh, Chandrababu Naidu’s son, using Pegasus spyware.
Sunil Kumar, a 1993 batch IPS officer, was formerly the Chief of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) before being appointed as Director General of the State Disaster Response Force and Fire Services. Under his tenure, the CID filed several cases against Chandrababu Naidu and other TDP leaders, including allegations of insider trading in Amaravati, the Inner Ring Road scam, and the SSC question paper leakage scandal.
Rishanth Reddy faced allegations from the TDP of being a staunch supporter of the YSRCP and was accused of using his position to hinder opposition parties by conducting vehicle checks under the pretext of combating red sander smuggling. Before his role as SP of the CI Cell, Reddy served as SP of Chittoor, where he filed cases against Naidu and other TDP leaders for allegedly inciting violence in Rayalaseema during a visit to irrigation project sites.
