Ramudu appointed as Andhra Pradesh DGP

Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh government late this evening appointed 1981 batch Indian Police Service officer Jasti Venkata Ramudu as the Director General of Police.

The appointment came even as cadre allotment of All India Services officers remains incomplete and a case is pending before the Central Administrative Tribunal over the appointment of DGP (in charge) for AP and Telangana.

Ramudu is currently officiating as the DGP (in charge) of AP after Chandrababu Naidu became the Chief Minister. Ramudu is actually supposed to retire on July 31 on attaining the age of superannuation.

The government has overlooked at least nine IPS officers senior to him in appointing him as the DGP. The government, however, tried to play it safe by getting Ramudu's name picked by the UPSC from a panel of seven names.

The UPSC's Empanelment Committee had shortlisted three names, including that of Ramudu, making the choice easy for the state government. Also, the government invoked the Supreme Court judgement in the Prakash Singh case to avoid further legal complications, sources in the General Administration Department said.

A formal order issued by Chief Secretary I Y R Krishna Rao also cited the Supreme Court judgement. Accordingly, Ramudu will continue to hold the DGP (HoPF) post for two years irrespective of the date of his superannuation.