HYDERABAD: Was the word that ACB director-general D Boobathi Babu has gone on long leave spread deliberately to demoralise the ACB boss and portray him in a poor light? Babu himself categorically denied having any intention of going on leave. He went to his office as usual Saturday.Sources close to the ACB chief say the report was deliberately spread so as to portray him in a poor light and make him fall in line as he had raised the banner of revolt against the state government by not relieving ACB additional director K Srinivas Reddy.Sources disclosed to Express that the government was left red-faced after Babu refused to relieve Srinivas Reddy. Some senior IPS officers took strong objection to Babu’s behaviour, saying it was "not in the interests of the government’’ though Babu’s move was appreciated by many in his fraternity. Babu was himself surprised when he came across news reports of him going on leave in protest.He is understood to have told some of his trusted colleagues that the rumour was deliberately spread. "I continue to perform normal duties in ACB and do not intend to go on leave as was mentioned in the media,’’ Boobathi Babu said in a press release issued Saturday.He went on to say that the ACB is committed to carrying forward its investigation, especially the liquor probe. "Prompt action will be taken against anyone against whom adequate evidence is gathered,’’ Babu said.He said the government did reiterat the orders transferring Srinivas Reddy and it was promptly complied with by the ACB. "The correspondence with the govt on this subject was in accordance with the norms, and no adverse inference needs to be drawn from the same,’’ he said.Unconfirmed reports suggest that Boobathi Babu had a meeting with chief secretary Pankaj Dwivedi. and DGP V Dinesh Reddy Saturday morning at a corporate hospital where Dwivedi has been admitted for treatment.Sources said Boobathi Babu may continue as ACB chief at least till April 16 as affidavits on the liquor probe have to be filed in the AP High Court by that date. He may be transferred thereafter.Meanwhile, B Shivdhar Reddy, who replaced Srinivasa Reddy as additional director of ACB, took charge on Saturday. Boobathi Babu held a meeting with ACB officials in connection with the liquor probe.
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