The Supreme Court came down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh government for using a senior IAS officer as a “scapegoat” in a remission goof up in which the state government failed to process the files related to the remission of sentences of convicts despite its order. The apex court had ruled on May 13 that the modal code of conduct, which was in force till June 6 due to the Lok Sabha polls, will not come in the way of processing files related to remission of sentences of convicts. But the state government officials did not even open the email intimating them about the order till June 6, when the modal code of conduct was in operation.
The top court has treated it as a ‘defiance of its order’ and directed the chief secretary to file personal affidavit to the court explaining the entire episode and the conduct of the state as well as its officers by September 24.
In the meantime, the state government shunted out IAS officer Rajesh Kumar Singh (IAS:1991:UP) from the post of principal secretary in state prison department ostensibly for giving “false” information to court and blaming the chief minister’s office for not processing files. However, the court also found the stand taken and the statement made by the IAS officer on this issue contradictory, and hence issued show-cause asking why not a criminal proceeding should be initiated against him.
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