The conflicts between bureaucrats in Haryana refuse to die down. Recently two IPS officers – IG Y Puran Kumar and SP Rajender Meena – sought permission from chief secretary to lodge FIR against additional chief secretary TVSN Prasad for discrimination in posting. The row ended with the two officers getting proper posting.
Now it's turn of two IAS officers locking horns with each other. And additional chief secretary home TVSN Prasad, who was defendant, on earlier two occasions, has been appointed to conduct a fact-finding enquiry into a series of complaints made by the two IAS officers against each other.
What is the case?
Senior IAS officer of 1991 batch Ashok Khemka, known for record transfers in his career, is at loggerheads with Sanjeev Verma, a 2004 batch IAS, promoted from state services.
The row between the started in April 2022 when Verma then managing director (MD) of Haryana State Warehousing Corporation (HSWC) recommended registration of a criminal case for alleged irregularities in HSWC appointments made during Khemka's tenure as its MD more than a decade ago.
Verma had sent a formal complaint to Sector 5 police station in Panchkula for registration of a criminal case against Khemka and three HSWC officials over the recruitment of two manager Grade-I officials, Pradip Kumar and Surinder Singh, in 2010 when Khemka was the managing director. Before the case was referred to the police, Verma had dismissed Kumar and Singh on 20 April.
Khemka, an ACS level officer, then got a counter FIR registered against Verma. In his complaint, Khemka accused Verma and Ravinder of hatching a conspiracy against him. Verma misused his position as the HSWC MD in conspiracy with Ravinder to file a false complaint “in an act of revenge and with a corrupt motive”, the complaint read.
However, both the FIRs are in state of dormancy due to the non-fulfilment of statutory requirement by the police of taking prior approval under section 17-A of the PC Act before the registration of an FIR.
Government appoints ACS TVSN Prasad to look into the conflict
Ever since the war between the two officers is going on with both getting involved in allegations and counter allegations against each other. Khemka is currently posted as ACS archives and printing and stationery departments. Verma is serving as commissioner, Rohtak division.
Since the conflict involves an ACS level officer, the government has appointed a 1988-batch IAS officer TVSN Prasad, who is the senior most officer in the cadre after the chief secretary, to conduct fact finding in the case.
Vivek Shukla is a management graduate who has worked in corporate worked for 20 years and is now pursuing his passion — news.
