Vijayawada: Former Intelligence chief AB Venkateswara Rao denies Pegasus purchase

Vijayawada: Sharply reacting to the allegations linking him to the purchase of Pegasus by the previous government, suspended IPS officer and former Intelligence chief AB Venkateswara Rao said that it was his responsibility to clear the air on the allegations on Pegasus.

Addressing the media here on Monday, Venkateswara Rao recalled that the DGP office had already announced that Pegasus was not purchased and now there were allegations that someone else purchased it. He made it clear that there was no phone tapping during the previous regime.

"It was an attempt to confuse people with lies and irrational arguments," he stated.

Rao said that he could not understand as to how he was linked to Pegasus which was never purchased and used. 'As the intelligence chief he had full information that no government agency had purchased Pegasus till May 2019 and he was not aware what happened later. It was sheer waste of time to hurl allegations against him, the former Intelligence chief said.

Alleging that some persons tried to implicate him with forged papers, he recalled that he had demanded inquiry against those persons by submitting the proofs.

Rao said that his suspension issue was pending in the Supreme Court. He said, "I sought permission of the Chief Secretary to file defamation cases against the persons including Sakshi channel, Sakshi newspaper, Ambati Rambabu, Gudivada Amarnath, Abbayya Chowdary, Vijaya Sai Reddy, Pioneer newspaper, Swarnandhra midday newspaper, Great Andhra.com, who attempted to assassinate my character."