AP govt suspends DGP-rank officer in forgery case

The Andhra Pradesh government today issued an order placing DGP-rank officer Umesh Kumar under suspension "for absconding from his official duties" since June 11.

A 1977 batch Indian Police Service officer, Umesh Kumar is currently chairman of Godavari Valley Development Authority and has been facing a criminal case of forgery.

He remained "untraced" since June 14 after the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court here issued a non-bailable warrant against him in the case being investigated by the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The CID sought to execute the NBW the same day and went to his official residence at Banjara Hills here but he was said to be "not available".

The High Court yesterday kept the NBW in abeyance till June 25 even as it rapped the police over the manner in which the warrant was sought to be executed.

Director General of Police V Dinesh Reddy, who is publicly engaged in a turf war with his batch-mate, informed the government in a letter on June 16 that it was "a grave misconduct on part of Umesh Kumar" and requested that the latter be placed under suspension.

The Principal Secretary of Planning Department also informed that Umesh Kumar last attended office on June 11 and he neither applied for leave nor gave any information to higher authorities (about his absence).

Following this, Chief Secretary Pankaj Dwivedi issued an order placing the DGP-rank IPS officer under suspension with immediate effect "for absconding from his official duties", in accordance with All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules.

As per the High Court directions, Umesh is required to appear in the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court here on June 25.