Suspended IAS officer Durga Nagpal replies to chargesheet

Nagpal has declared herself innocent and claimed her action was well within the rules of service, report TV channels

Suspended IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal is reported to have given her reply to the chargesheet that the Uttar Pradesh government had served on her over the demolition of the wall of an under-construction mosque in Gautam Buddha Nagar.

TV channels reported tonight that the 28-year-old officer, who was the SDM of GB Nagar, near Delhi, in her reply has stated that she was innocent but there was no official confirmation.

The Akhilesh Yadav government had on August 4 served a chargesheet on Nagpal whose suspension on July 27 had triggered a huge controversy.

Nagpal had been given 15-day time to file her reply to the state government and the deadline expires on Monday.

Nagpal, who led the crackdown on sand mining mafia in her district, was suspended ostensibly for ordering demolition of a wall of a under-construction mosque in Kadalpur village allegedly without following the due process.

She had earlier met UP Chief Secretary Javed Usmani and Secretary to chief minister Anita Singh to explain her position.

The chargesheet, running into 10 pages, was prepared based on a report of Commissioner (Meerut Division) and claimed that the IAS officer had not adhered to the rules while demolishing a mosque wall.

The state government had justified Nagpal's suspension, saying her action threatened communal harmony.

But supporters of the officer claimed she was allegedly victimised for cracking down on the sand mining mafia in the state.

The chargesheet, among other things, is reported to have pointed out that the officer should have first served a notice before bringing down the wall of the mosque concerned.

The suspension triggered a huge public outcry against the UP government, which justified its action and stood defiant against calls to revoke the officer's suspension.

The UP government had also said that the officer could explain her position after a chargesheet had been served on her and that any decision on the matter would be taken after she gave her response.