The Government of Andhra Pradesh has recently suspended senior Indian Police Service officer P. V. Sunil Kumar for allegedly engaging in unauthorized international travel without obtaining requisite government approvals during the previous Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) administration.
In an official order, Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand stated that Kumar, a Director General of Police (DGP)-rank officer awaiting reassignment, repeatedly deviated from sanctioned travel itineraries, thereby violating established service norms.
Statutory Basis for Suspension
Invoking Rule 3(1) of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, the state government ordered Kumar’s immediate suspension. The directive explicitly states: “Now, therefore, in the exercise of the powers conferred under Rule 3(1) of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, the Government of Andhra Pradesh hereby places P. V. Sunil Kumar, IPS, under suspension with immediate effect.”
Allegations of Professional Misconduct
The suspension order highlights Kumar’s alleged pattern of noncompliance, characterizing his actions as “gross negligence, indiscipline, and grave misconduct.” The government contends that Kumar’s unauthorized foreign visits constitute a willful disregard of regulatory protocols governing the conduct of civil servants. Consequently, disciplinary proceedings are under consideration to address these repeated infractions.
Pattern of Unauthorized Foreign Travel
Official records indicate that between 2019 and 2024, Kumar undertook multiple foreign trips, including visits to Georgia, the United Arab Emirates, Sweden, the United States, and the United Kingdom, without obtaining the mandatory government clearances.
Notably, although permission was granted for a visit to Georgia from March 1 to 4, 2024, he allegedly diverged from the approved itinerary to travel to the UAE without authorization. Additionally, he is reported to have visited the United States between February 1 and 28, 2023, departing from Hyderabad without securing prior governmental sanction.
Implications Amidst Political Transition
These developments transpired under the former YSRCP-led administration of Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, which governed Andhra Pradesh from 2019 to 2024.
The suspension signals the incumbent administration’s commitment to upholding stringent regulatory compliance and enforcing accountability within the state’s bureaucratic and law enforcement frameworks.
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