In a decisive move aimed at weeding out corruption and enforcing administrative discipline, the Gujarat government on Thursday compulsorily retired two senior civil servants facing grave allegations of malfeasance and misconduct. The penal action was taken against 2011-batch IAS officer K. Rajesh and 2010-batch IAS officer Gaurav Dahiya as part of a specialized administrative initiative known as 'Operation Gangajal'. According to an official from the administration, the formal order was executed following a comprehensive scrutiny of their service records, personal conduct files, and the findings of multiple pending departmental inquiries against both individuals.
Targeted Drive Against Bureaucratic Irregularities
The specialized cleanup exercise termed 'Operation Gangajal' was established to identify and penalize civil servants who have been implicated in corrupt practices, ethical breaches, and serious procedural infractions. An official familiar with the matter stated that the government undertook an exhaustive evaluation of their entire career track records before reaching this resolution. When officers consistently attract severe charges that compromise the integrity and public faith of the administration, compulsory retirement serves as a definitive administrative remedy. The final orders were drafted only after reconciling all ongoing departmental procedures and finding their continuation in public service untenable.
Bribery and Land Allotment Inquiries Against K. Rajesh
Among the penalised officers, 2011-batch IAS officer K. Rajesh was already under active suspension when the compulsory retirement order was served. His service history had come under severe scrutiny over serious allegations of accepting illegal gratification. Specifically, he had faced formal inquiries for demanding bribes in exchange for issuing weapon licenses during his administrative postings. Furthermore, he was accused of unlawful financial transactions in cases relating to the allotment of government-owned land. These mounting allegations had earlier resulted in his suspension from active duty, culminating now in his permanent removal from the state administrative machinery.
Misconduct Cases Clouded Gaurav Dahiya's Tenure
The second officer penalized under the drive, 2010-batch IAS officer Gaurav Dahiya, was serving as the Additional Development Commissioner in Gandhinagar at the time the order was finalized. Throughout his service, Dahiya had been embroiled in numerous controversies, disciplinary proceedings, and inquiries concerning alleged personal and official misconduct. A significant portion of these departmental probes stemmed from his tenure within the National Health Mission, where questionable actions had triggered formal investigations. Taking full cognizance of these disciplinary findings alongside his broader professional trajectory, the state authorities decided to prematurely retire him from his post without delay.
