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Gujarat govt compulsorily retires two IAS officers under ‘Operation Gangajal’
The Gujarat government on Thursday compulsorily retired two Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, K Rajesh and Gaurav Dahiya
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The Gujarat government on Thursday compulsorily retired two Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, K Rajesh and Gaurav Dahiya, as part of “Operation Gangajal”, an exercise targeting officials facing corruption allegations, disciplinary proceedings and serious misconduct.
Rajesh, a 2011-batch officer who was already under suspension, was retired in view of criminal investigations and proceedings against him in cases involving alleged bribery, illegal land allotments and money laundering. Dahiya, a 2010-batch officer serving as additional development commissioner in Gandhinagar, was also compulsorily retired following disciplinary proceedings and inquiries into allegations of misconduct.
Rajesh was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2022 in a corruption case relating to his tenure as Surendranagar collector between April 2018 and June 2021.
He was accused of taking bribes in connection with the issue of arms licences and allotment of government land. The ED later arrested him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and filed a prosecution complaint against him.
Born on March 23, 1986, Rajesh completed his BTech in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Pondicherry University. He joined the IAS in 2011 after clearing the UPSC Civil Services Examination. He served as assistant collector in Junagadh and Surat and as district development officer in Surat before becoming collector of Surendranagar.
A Gujarat government official said the action against Dahiya followed disciplinary proceedings, controversies and misconduct inquiries during his service, including issues relating to his tenure with the National Health Mission.
Dahiya, who was born on June 3, 1984, and completed his MBBS from Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences in 2007, joined the IAS in 2010 after clearing the UPSC Civil Services Examination. He served in the health and environment departments and as mission director of the National Health Mission. He had also served as district development officer in Banaskantha and Patan.
The government had ordered a formal departmental inquiry after Dahiya was suspended in August 2019 following a state inquiry committee finding substance in allegations of bigamy and professional misconduct made by a Delhi-based woman.
Dahiya denied the allegations and alleged that he had been honey-trapped and blackmailed. Delhi Police later gave him a clean chit in the complaint made by the woman. However, the Gujarat government said at the time that separate departmental inquiries into other complaints against him were still pending.
A separate inquiry into Dahiya’s financial dealings was ordered in November 2019. Retired IAS officer V S Gadhavi was appointed to examine allegations relating to his financial transactions, including the purchase of a flat in Delhi for the woman.
The Gujarat government revoked Dahiya’s suspension in July 2023, nearly four years after he was suspended, and appointed him as additional development commissioner in Gandhinagar.
He continued in the post until Thursday’s compulsory retirement.
Dahiya was due to retire in 2044 and had about 18 years of service left when he was compulsorily retired at the age of 42.
The Gujarat government’s action against the two officers comes as part of its continuing review of officials facing disciplinary and integrity-related proceedings under the exercise referred to as “Operation Gangajal”.
