HC orders whistle-blower PCS officer to file report of inquiry

The Allahabad High Court today directed senior PCS officer Hari Shankar Pandey to file report of the inquiry conducted by him in the alleged Rs 1,400 crore scam in Uttar Pradesh Rural Engineering Department on July 17.
The Lucknow bench of the High Court, comprising justices Devi Prasad Singh and Vinay Kumar Mathur, gave the directions on a petition filed by Pandey challenging the departmental charge sheet served upon him by the government for "conducting inquiry in a wrong way".
The court also directed the Uttar Pradesh government to file all records related to sending police force for serving the notice of departmental inquiry at the residence of Pandey.

The PCS officer had alleged that police force was sent to his residence for serving the notice of inquiry, which was against the norms, and demanded a compensation of Rs 5 crore from the government in this regard.
Pandey had also alleged that at the instance of senior IAS officer and Principal Secretary, Appointment, Rajiv Kumar, with whom he reportedly had some rivalry, departmental proceedings were initiated against him.
He had alleged that he was being continuously harassed by Kumar and other officers concerned with the scam and sought direction that penal action be taken against them.
On behalf of the state government, additional advocate general Zafaryab Jilani opposed the petition and filed documents before the court denying Pandey's allegations.

Pandey had on July 1 opted for voluntary retirement in protest against the government order of filing a charge sheet against him.