In a major development, the Andhra Pradesh government has suspended senior IPS officer PV Sunil Kumar for allegedly going against the Civil Services Code of Conduct. The erstwhile CID Chief during the YSRCP government is accused of serious charges such as custodial torture, misconduct, and unauthorized foreign travel.
During his stint as the CID Chief, Sunil Kumar was in charge when Kanumuru Raghurama Krishnam Raju, former MP and present Deputy Speaker, AP Assembly, was reportedly subjected to third-degree questioning while in custody. The reports pointed to Sunil Kumar being a key figure in the scenario, inviting widespread criticism. After the government change, he was transferred to the DGP’s office without posting, which indicated possible disciplinary action.
The government established that Sunil Kumar had time and again travelled overseas without due approval, contravening the service regulations. In 2023, he went to Sweden without getting previous approval. After that, he applied for an approval to visit Georgia but visited the UAE. On one instance, he traveled to the US without an approval and then applied for and was approved for a different trip to the US but flew to the UK. These persistent breaches prompted the state to treat his actions as grave misconduct, leading to his suspension.
Aside from violations of international travel, Sunil Kumar has been accused of misusing his authority. He is said to have called his colleague, Kamepalli Tulasi Babu, to the CID office, allegedly using him to physically harass Raghurama Krishnam Raju while he was in custody.
Apart from this, he has also been criticized for promoting religious propaganda on social media. His offensive posts and stern responses to his critics have only added fuel to the controversies about his behavior.
Considering the severity of these accusations, the government of Andhra Pradesh has issued a stringent suspension order against PV Sunil Kumar.