IAS Officer Accused of Assault During Inspection in UP; Probe Ordered

The Jalaun district administration has ordered an inquiry into allegations that IAS officer Rinkoo Singh Rahee shoved a block pramukh and attempted to slap him during an inspection of a cold storage facility. The incident occurred on June 23, but came to light after CCTV footage was released by the complainant, BJP leader Ram Raja Niranjan.

Niranjan, 57, who serves as Block Pramukh, filed a complaint with District Magistrate Rajesh Kumar Pandey accusing Rahee of misconduct. According to Niranjan, a joint inspection team led by Rahee visited the cold storage facility at Mitara Orai village. When he asked about shortcomings, Niranjan said he told the SDM to point out any deficiencies for immediate rectification. Rahee then directed that the fire pump be switched on. Niranjan explained that the pump takes a few minutes to build pressure due to a long pipeline.

Niranjan alleged that Rahee demanded all relevant documents within two-and-a-half minutes and refused to move to the office. When Niranjan called a director to bring documents, Rahee began recording on his phone. An employee also started filming. After Rahee declared the time expired, Niranjan said the documents were on their way. At that point, Rahee allegedly attempted to slap Niranjan and pushed him. The CCTV footage, according to Niranjan, captures the incident and also shows the fire pump discharging water at full pressure once the pipeline was filled.

Rahee, a 2022-batch IAS officer and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Jalaun, denied the allegations. He claimed the circulated footage was incomplete and that it would be inappropriate to draw conclusions from short clips. He said Niranjan brought his mobile phone 'excessively close' during the inspection, and he merely moved it aside to avoid an unpleasant situation. Regarding the push, Rahee said Niranjan came into 'inappropriate physical proximity' and his response was to create physical space.

BJP Jalaun district president Urvija Dixit confirmed Niranjan’s association with the party but noted he does not hold any organisational post. District Magistrate Rajesh Kumar Pandey appointed a two-member committee to investigate. Additional District Magistrate Rajeev Raj, a panel member, said notices have been issued to both parties to record their statements. The committee will also question bystanders seen in the CCTV footage.

Rahee is no stranger to controversy. In April, while posted with the Board of Revenue in Lucknow, he wrote to the President of India seeking a 'technical resignation' and repatriation to his previous service, alleging he was kept away from field work. In a seven-page letter, he expressed concern that the administrative ecosystem resists reforms.