The former station house officer of Marredpally police station in HyderabadInspector K Nageswara Rao, who was accused of sexual assault and kidnap of a woman allegedly at gunpoint, was dismissed from service on Monday without any inquiry, a police statement said.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner C V Anand issued orders against Rao for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and for failing to uphold the law. A statement from the Hyderabad Police said that such severe action has been taken against 55 officers of the commissionerate since December 2021.
Rao was accused of raping the wife of a man who worked at his farmhouse and threatening or attempting to kill her with his service weapon. Based on a complaint from the woman, after she reportedly escaped from Rao, the Vanasthalipuram police registered a case against him. Rao, who was initially suspended, was arrested and remanded in judicial custody.
The statement said that it was not practical to conduct a regular departmental enquiry because there was every possibility that Rao would intimidate and influence the victim and witnesses during the process.
“He has a criminal bent of mind which is amply proven and he can go to any extent to threaten, influence and intimidate the victims and witnesses,” the statement said, explaining that a regular departmental enquiry may take a long time during which there is likely to be an interaction between him and the victims and witnesses. “Therefore, there will be no atmosphere to conduct a free and fair enquiry. Thus, it is reasonable to impose a major penalty of ‘Dismissal from Service’ on Koratla Nageswara Rao, Inspector of Police (under suspension), without an enquiry by the competent authority,” it said.
According to the statement, the 55 officers removed from service include 17 police officers who have been dismissed from service and 22 removed from service, apart from 15 terminations of probation, and one compulsory retirement.