IAS officer Rajasekhar faces Delhi govt heat

The Delhi government has announced that it will commence disciplinary proceedings against IAS officer YVVJ Rajasekhar following multiple complaints received against him.

Rajasekhar, who is currently investigating vigilance matters related to excise policy and the renovation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s bungalow, is the subject of a formal request by Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj to transfer him immediately, as stated in an official statement.

The officer has not yet responded to this development. Rajasekhar currently holds the position of Special Secretary, Vigilance, in the Delhi government. Services Minister Bharadwaj emphasized the need for swift action to safeguard official records and ensure employee safety. In a comprehensive dossier submitted to the Chief Minister, the minister highlighted Rajasekhar’s extensive history of scrutiny by the CBI, Central Vigilance Commission, CBI, and the vigilance department for various instances of corruption. The minister also raised concerns about Rajasekhar’s unauthorized possession of sensitive vigilance files for personal motives.

The government statement conveyed the minister’s serious apprehensions regarding Rajasekhar’s negative impact on the Vigilance Department, underscoring the urgent requirement for his transfer or removal. The statement further denounced Rajasekhar for disseminating false, frivolous, and concocted information for personal gain.

The minister recommended initiating disciplinary proceedings against Rajasekhar, accusing him of violating AIS (Conduct) Rules 1968. Furthermore, he suggested referring all complaints alleging corrupt practices and misconduct by Rajasekhar to an investigative agency.

The charges against Rajasekhar include insubordination, undisciplined behavior, falsification of material facts, and other significant transgressions, as stated in the government statement. As per a note submitted by the Services Minister to the Chief Minister on May 13, all assignments given to Rajasekhar were immediately withdrawn based on a complaint alleging his involvement in an extortion racket and demand for protection money.

In another note on the same day, the Services Minister directed all assistant directors of the Vigilance department to submit their files directly to the Secretary (Vigilance), bypassing Rajasekhar. The Secretary, Vigilance, was further instructed to take custody of all files held by Rajasekhar, fearing tampering or destruction.

Despite clear orders issued in the aforementioned directives, Rajasekhar deliberately and unlawfully retained numerous Vigilance Department files, possibly driven by ulterior motives. Instead of complying with his superiors’ instructions and subjecting himself to a fair investigation, he resorted to fabricating false and frivolous stories, disseminating them widely in the media to undermine the credibility of the Minister In-charge and Secretary (Vigilance) of GNCTD, according to the note.

The note highlighted Rajasekhar’s blatant violation of AIS Rules, which outline general and specific behaviors expected from officers to ensure integrity and dedication to duty. Additionally, it mentioned a recent serious allegation against Rajasekhar, accusing him of orchestrating a ‘Cash for Compassionate Jobs scam’ amounting to Rs 15 crore in the Services Department. The complainant, one of the 300 candidates involved, claimed that Rajasekhar demanded Rs 5 lakh for each legitimate placement on compassionate grounds.

The note also raised suspicions about Rajasekhar potentially misusing his official position to extort crores of rupees from dependents of deceased Delhi government employees.

The BJP criticized the call for action against Rajasekhar, alleging that it was a ploy to remove him due to his involvement in the Vigilance department’s investigations into the excise policy and the alleged excessive expenditure by Kejriwal on his official bungalow.

(With PTI inputs)