Supreme Court sets aside A.P. HC order quashing FIRs filed by ACB

VIJAYAWADA

The Supreme Court on Thursday (January 8, 2026) set aside the Andhra Pradesh High Court order nullifying 13 First Information Reports (FIRs) registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The apex court directed the accused public servants to cooperate for the expeditious conclusion of the investigation. It directed the ACB to file final reports within six months and not to take any coercive steps against the public servants.

Further, the Supreme Court also directed the High Court not to entertain any more challenges to the FIRs or pending investigation.

After the State bifurcation in 2014, the ACB and Criminal Investigation Unit of ACB was functioning from Hyderabad till 2016, after which they were shifted to Vijayawada and functioned as the police stations based on laws in force prior to bifurcation.

On August 14, 2022, the State government issued a G.O. notifying Joint Director, CIU, ACB as police station with jurisdiction for the entire State.

Prior to August 2022, the CIU, ACB registered cases against corrupt public servants for amassing wealth disproportionate to their known source of income.

Among such officials, Dayam Peda Ranga Rao, then Motor Vehicle Inspector, Srikakulam District, and other public servants filed criminal petitions before the HC to quash the FIRs as they were registered before August 14, 2022, the date of notification of CIU as police station.

The HC quashed the 13 FIRs involving the accused public servants on technical grounds.

The ACB, Vijayawada, filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court and senior counsel for ACB Siddarth Luthra, Advocate-on-record G. Pramodh Kumar and their team in coordination with the ACB and followed the Supreme Court proceedings.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court allowed the SLP and set aside the HC judgment.