Andhra Pradesh

Unable to get Ravindra as Andhra Intel chief, Jagan ends 6-month-long wait

One of the first decisions that Jaganmohan Reddy took even before taking the oath of chief minister was to choose his Intelligence chief. He wanted Stephen Ravindra (pic below), an IPS officer of the Telangana cadre who had served as Chief Security Officer to YS Rajasekhara Reddy as chief minister. The phone lines were worked with Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to issue a No-objection certificate to the inter-state transfer. 

Also read : Reactions to Jagan’s choice, Stephen Ravindra

The file was thereafter on the Centre’s table. But despite Jagan requesting Amit Shah to clear Ravindra’s transfer and several requests thereafter, it never happened. The Centre was reportedly not in favour of the transfer since there was no pressing need for it. Moreover, it was felt it would send across the message that there is no one good enough in the Andhra Pradesh police force to be intelligence chief and lead to resentment against Ravindra, should he get the posting. Usually inter-cadre transfers are done if the husband and wife are both serving officers in different states and apply to be together in a single state. Ravindra’s transfer, the apprehension was, would set a precedent and more CMs would apply for officers of their choice from other states. 

On Thursday, MK Sinha was finally appointed as the full-time intelligence chief replacing Kumar Vishwajeet who was holding temporary charge all these months. That puts an end to the Ravindra episode. The officer in any case, had gone back to work in Telangana from leave in September. 

But what this episode has shown is the limitation of Jagan’s clout with the BJP in Delhi. And that would not please the YSRCP. 

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