Jagan’s lobbying with KCR bears fruit; deputation process gets under way

Chief Minister-designate Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has zeroed in on Stephen Ravindra, who is at present working as Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Hyderabad range, for the post of Intelligence chief.

Mr. Ravindra, a 1999-batch senior IPS officer of Telangana cadre, met Mr. Jagan at his residence at Tadepalli near here on Monday. “It would take two to three weeks to complete the process. The Central government has to clear the inter-State deputation,” said a senior official, who did not want to be quoted.

Mr. Jagan’s choice assumes significance in the wake of “intense competition” among top police officials for the post which is considered as eyes and ears of the Chief Minister.

This is against the backdrop of the controversy triggered by the transfer of A. B. Venkateswara Rao, who was serving a Additional Director General (Intelligence) by the Election Commission just before the general elections. The TDP government even filed a petition in the High Court challenging the EC’s decision.

YSR connection

Mr. Ravindra is working as chief of SIT which is probing the data theft case of IT Grids India Pvt Ltd, the software company which created the ‘Sevamitra’ app for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to collect voter data at the polling booth level. He also served as Chief Security Officer (CSO) for former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in combined Andhra Pradesh.

Initially, it was tipped that PSR Anjaneyulu, who is on deputation with the Border Security Force (BSF), would be the Intelligence chief. Meanwhile, there was talk that K. Rajendranath Reddy, who is serving as Director General, Drugs & Copyrights, was one of the contenders for the post. Kumar Vishwajeet, who has been appointed as Additional DG (Intelligence) by the EC, was also in the race.

Mr. Jagan, is believed to have made a request to Telangana CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao during his courtesy call recently to relieve Mr. Ravindra to which Mr. Rao responded positively.