The Andhra Pradesh government has revoked the suspension of two senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, Kanthi Rana Tata and Vishal Gunni, who were placed under suspension in September 2024 in connection with the handling of a case involving Mumbai-based actress and model Kadambari Jethwani.
The officers have since been reinstated and assigned new postings.
Orders revoking the suspensions were issued on September 3, 2026, by the General Administration Department under the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969. The decision followed representations submitted by the officers and a report from the Director General of Police (Head of Police Force) Harish Kumar Gupta. The government stated that the reinstatement was made ‘without prejudice to the ongoing disciplinary and criminal proceedings.’ Mr. Tata was reinstated with effect from September 4, and Mr. Gunni from September 5.
On September 20, the government issued fresh posting orders. Tata, a 2004-batch officer and former Vijayawada Police Commissioner, was appointed Inspector General of Police, Directorate of Traffic Management and Road Safety. Gunni, a 2010-batch officer and former Deputy Commissioner of Police in Vijayawada, was posted as Deputy Inspector General of Police (Training), with additional charge as Director of the Andhra Pradesh Police Academy.
The officers, along with then DGP (Intelligence) P. Sitharama Anjaneyulu (who has since retired while under suspension) and two other police personnel, were suspended on September 15, 2024. The action followed allegations of high-handedness, failure to follow standard investigation procedures, and procedural lapses in the arrest of Jethwani and her parents in February 2024 related to a land deal complaint. The suspensions were periodically extended, with the most recent extension valid until early September 2026.
The revocation after nearly two years brings the officers back into active service while leaving the underlying disciplinary inquiries and criminal cases open. Officials have not publicly detailed the specific findings that led to lifting the suspension at this stage, beyond referencing the DGP’s report and the officers’ representations. One of the officers had challenged the continuation of suspension before the Central Administrative Tribunal and later approached the High Court.
The prolonged period under suspension, followed by reinstatement pending further proceedings, has drawn attention to the initial decision to suspend the officers. While the government maintains that disciplinary and criminal processes will continue, the decision to restore them to duty after extended review periods indicates that continued suspension was no longer considered necessary or justified at this juncture.
Questions about the duration of the suspension and its impact on the officers’ careers remain part of broader discussions on administrative processes in such cases, though no final determination of misconduct has been publicly concluded. The CID investigation into aspects of the original case is reported to be ongoing, with no charge sheet details fully resolved in public reports as of the latest updates.