Senior IPS officer A B Venkateswara Rao on Friday said that he was retiring from the service with uniform on his body. I am happy to retire with the uniform, he said.

Venkateswara Rao took charge as the commissioner of printing and stationery in Vijayawada on the day. The state government gave him the post in the afternoon, and he took the charge immediately.

The government lifted the suspension on Venkateswara Rao this morning, after the high court did not entertain the state government’s petition challenging the CAT orders. The CAT had dismissed the suspension order of Venkateswara Rao for the second time on the same charges.

Venkateswara Rao was first suspended on May 31, 2019 on the charges of corruption. He is accused of acquiring telephone tapping equipment in the name of his son in violation of the rules. He challenged the suspension in Andhra Pradesh high court. The court justified his arguments and dismissed the suspension order.

The state government challenged the high court dismissing the suspension orders in the supreme court. The supreme court too dismissed the orders. Then the state government gave him the printing and stationery commissioner post two years ago. A week after that, the government suspended Venkateswara Rao once again on the same charges.

Venkateswara Rao then approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) challenging the state government’s decision. The CAT, early this month, upheld his argument and dismissed the suspension order.

However, the state government challenged the CAT’s decision in the high court. The high court too refused to entertain the state government’s petition and upheld the CAT’s order. Following this, the state government on Friday lifted the suspension on Venkateswara Rao and gave him the post as the commissioner of printing and stationery.

Venkateswara Rao retired from service on the same day, a few hours after he took over as the commissioner of printing and stationery.