Pankaj Choudhary, a 2009 batch IPS officer of Rajasthan, serving as SP community policing, has yet again raised controversy by disputing state government's decision of sending IAS officer Anil Agrawal for 40-day induction training to Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy to Administration, Mussoorie.
Choudhary, in a letter written to chief secretary Sudhansh Pant and dop secretary KK Pathak, alleged that sending Agrawal for training is sheer wastage of public money as he (Agrawal) is going to retire next year.
“It's strange why the state government is spending Rs 3.5 lakh on training of an officer, who is facing corruption charges and is also going to retire next year,” he asked.
Choudhary, who had been surrounded with controversies, has also raised questions on the integrity of Anil Agrawal, who is handling one of the cases of Choudhary while serving as commissioner departmental enquiry.
Incidentally, Choudhary, in a first, has been downgraded from Level 11 pay scale to Level 10 pay scale following investigation into case of grave personal misconduct against him.
Choudhary alleged that Anil Agrawal was caught by ACB in a corruption case and was also jailed in that matter. He was under suspension for two years for allegedly accepting bribe when he was working an additional director IEC, National Health Mission. He was later released on bail before being promoted to IAS from state civil service (RAS). The probe is still on.
“How can an officer who is facing corruption charges can probe my case. I had requested to change the enquiry officer. But my request was not heard,” he said.
Agrawal has been made enquiry officer in a case where Pankaj Choudhary has been accused of remarriage hiding his first marriage. This was considered grave personal misconduct and a probe was instituted by the state government, which sent recommendation of his removal to the centre.
The central government had dismissed Choudhary from service over allegation of grave personal misconduct. Later Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) revoked the dismissal and ordered reinstatement of Choudhary without prejudice to the disciplinary proceedings against him for which he was dismissed.
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