In a bizarre episode, which has rattled the police force in Andhra Pradesh, a Dalit IPS officer has charged the state intelligence chief with committing atrocities against him in the name of caste.

A Sundar Kumar Das, serving as the chief vigilance officer with the power generation corporation, has lodged a complaint against the additional director general of police (Intelligence) K Arvinda Rao under the SC/ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act 1989 and the Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955 with the Saifabad Police station in Hyderabad.

Das, who was conferred IPS in 1998, has alleged that Arvinda Rao had resorted to character assassination against him and opposed him whenever his name came up for consideration for important posting.

He alleged that many hurdles were created for him just because he belonged to the SCs, though he had been discharging his duty with dedication.

Apparently Sundar Das targeted Arvinda Rao because in capacity of state intelligence chief, he is supposed to brief the government about officers being considered for key positions.

Sundar Das alleged that because of the adverse reports and comments of Arvinda Rao, he was over looked in appointment for important positions including that of the district superintendent.

On the contrary, Sundar Das said, officers much junior to him were given important positions. He gave the example of Sivasankar Reddy who has been appointed as the deputy commissioner of police (East Zone) in Hyderabad though he got the promotion to IPS cadre almost ten years after Das.

While Sundar Das is a member of scheduled caste, Arvinda Rao, like many other members of the top brass of the state police is a blue blood Brahmin.

"Aravinda Rao was expected to brief the government objectively on the credentials of the officers. But he is dishonestly, deliberately and continuously maligning me by resorting to character assassination and giving false and frivolous information with animosity and caste bias as I am an SC and an untouchable according to him," Sundar Das said in his complaint.

But Arvinda Rao reacting to the allegations said that he had nothing to do with any postings by the government. "It is the government which makes the appointments", he said.

However, the Hyderabad City Police Commissioner B Prasad Rao said the case was under consideration and the police was seeking legal opinion. He warned that if the complaint turns out to be false, a case may be registered against the complainant too.

Sources close to Arvinda Rao said he was considering a legal action and filing defamation case against Sundar Das for levelling allegations and going to the media over it.

Some senior police officers are surprised over the action of Sundar Das and they are openly wondering whether the issue of government posting can be taken up under SC/ST Atrocities Act.