New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) has suspended Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) Anjani Kumar for breaching the model code of conduct. The action comes after Kumar visited the residence of state Congress president A Revanth Reddy to extend congratulations during the vote counting for Assembly elections.
Following the EC’s directive, the General Administration Department of the Telangana government has appointed Director General of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ABC) Ravi Kumar as the new DGP, Telangana, with full additional charge.
The incident gained attention when photos of Anjani Kumar presenting a bouquet to Reddy circulated on social media, coinciding with the Congress leading in the election results. Taking notice of these posts, the EC wrote to the chief secretary, urging action against Kumar. EC sources reveal that Kumar’s visit and congratulatory gesture during the vote counting process compromised the level-playing field, violating the model code and pertinent service rules.
Reddy, a strong contender for the Chief Minister’s position, contested from Kamareddy and Kodangal constituencies. Kumar’s visit, alongside two other senior police officers, raised concerns of potential favor-seeking, according to an EC source.
The EC has also called for explanations from the other two officers, state police nodal officer Sanjay Kumar Jain and nodal officer (expenditure) Mahesh M Bhagwat, regarding their visits to Reddy’s home during the vote counting process.
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