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’s order invalidating 13 First Information Reports (FIRs) registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The Supreme Court instructed the accused public officials to cooperate in order to conclude the investigation as soon as possible. He directed the ACB to submit final reports within six months and not take any coercive steps against public servants.

Additionally, the Supreme Court directed the Supreme Court not to take further notice of objections to FIRs or ongoing investigations.

Following the State bifurcation in 2014, the ACB and the Criminal Investigation Branch of the ACB were operating from Hyderabad until 2016, after which they were shifted to Vijayawada and functioned as police stations as per the laws in force before the bifurcation.

On August 14, 2022, the State government issued a GO informing that Joint Director CIU and ACB is the police station with jurisdiction for the entire State.

Before August 2022, CIU and ACB had filed lawsuits against corrupt public officials on the grounds that they had amassed wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income.

Among these officials, Dayam Peda Ranga Rao, Srikakulam District Motor Vehicle Inspector, and other public servants filed criminal petitions in the HC seeking quashing of FIRs as they were registered before August 14, 2022, when CIU was notified as a police station.

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

ACB filed a Special Leave Petition in the High Court, Vijayawada and ACB Siddarth Luthra became senior counsel to registered Advocate G. Pramodh Kumar and his team in coordination with ACB and followed the Supreme Court proceedings.

The Supreme Court on Thursday accepted the SLP and set aside the HC order.