The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday (07.09.2024) placed senior IAS officer Rajesh Kumar Singh (IAS:1991:UP), Principal Secretary, Jail Administration and Reforms, on waiting list replacing him with Anil Garg (IAS:1996:UP). His other department, Cooperative, has been handed over to MP Agrawal (IAS:1997:UP).
This move followed a reprimand from the Supreme Court of India over a delay in pardoning convicts, as the concerned file was stuck with Singh. The court observed that it was misled on the issue, ruling that it cannot tolerate any IAS officer misleading the court or changing their stance based on convenience. The SC noted that Singh’s affidavit submitted on August 14 differed from his submission made on August 12, 2024. Singh had argued that the delay in clearing the file was due to the Model Code of Conduct in place for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections but later clarified that it happened inadvertently. The court is expected to issue its order on September 9, 2024.
