Latest news with #AllIndiaServices(Conduct)Rules
New Indian Express
04-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Lokayukta writes to CS recommending action against IPS officer
BENGALURU: Lokayukta Justice BS Patil has written to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh recommending action against IPS officer Srinath Mahadeva Joshi, ex-SP of Lokayukta, in an extortion case. The Lokayukta said, prima facie, the anti-corruption agency's probe showed that the IPS officer colluded with the dismissed head constable Ningappa and violated the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968. It appears that Joshi, allegedly, made criminal conspiracy to collect illegal gratification by threatening the state government officials, who have amassed wealth. There are audio clips of the conversation between them about the collection of money, and the bribe money collected was used to invest in cryptocurrency to convert the black money into white, said the Lokayukta in his letter to the CS. Ningappa, who met Joshi in January 2025, asked him to speak to the Joint Director of the Excise Department, Nagarajappa, claiming that the latter was his uncle and gather information about Deputy Commissioner of Excise Rangappa. Subsequently, on May 8, Ningappa sent a WhatsApp message to Joshi, 'Today discuss with the inspector tomorrow final 25 kg sir' (Sic). At the same time, Ningappa spoke to the Excise Officials and informed Joshi through a WhatsApp message that they had agreed to give money. Here, the code word 'kg' meant Rs 1 lakh, the Lokayukta narrated in the letter to the CS, said highly-placed sources. The CDR has also revealed that Ningappa frequently visited the Lokayukta office and had constant contact with Joshi. Further, Ningappa sent a WhatsApp message to Joshi that the money collected from the government officials has to be invested in cryptocurrency to convert black into white. This was neither denied nor rejected by Joshi. When the mobile phone of Ningappa was scrutinised, 24 crypto wallets were found. The probe further revealed that Rs 4.92 crore has been invested in 13 wallets. What is interesting is that Ningappa used to check Joshi's crypto wallet to inform him about the loss and profit on a daily basis. This was possible because Joshi had sent his crypto wallet screenshot to him. Updating time to time about how much money has been invested, Ningapa further asked Joshi to invest in the crypto wallet. Now, Rs 4.92 crore invested in cryptocurrency has been frozen and kept under suspension. We still need to find out the source of the said money, and the probe is continuing to find out how much money Joshi has invested using the proceedings of the crime, sources said. The Lokayukta has also attached the probe report of his Additional Director General of Police, which contains the WhatsApp chats. The response from the CS is awaited, sources said.
The Hindu
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Lokayukta recommends action against ex-SP for involvement in extortion racket
After the arrest of Ningappa Sawant, a former head constable, a fortnight ago, the Karnataka Lokayukta mentioned former Bengaluru Lokayukta SP Srinath Joshi M. as co-accused and has written to the Chief Secretary to take action against him as per the All India Services (Conduct) Rules. A probe allegedly revealed that Ningappa, who has proximity with Joshi, used to target government officials posing as Lokayukta officers and extort money threatening to foist cases against them. Lokayukta officials said preliminary findings established the link of the accused IPS officer, Joshi, which violates the service rules. The Lokayukta has also asked the government to submit an action taken report. According to an official release, even though there were no complaints, the Lokayukta, based on the information, took up a case and registered an FIR against the accused under the PC Act. Investigations revealed that Ningappa sent intimidating WhatsApp messages to officials, allegedly demanding bribes using the codeword 'KG', and the probe found that the accused had opened 24 crypto wallets to invest in cryptocurrency to convert the black money into white. Analysis of the accused's mobile also revealed that 13 out of 24 crypto wallets were found to have transactions amounting to over ₹4.92 crore. The Lokayukta also announced that it has set up an 'internal monitoring wing' to keep a check on erring officials. It also asked the government to appoint judicial and other officers. Earlier, Lokayukta officials submitted a proposal to set up such a wing using the officials transferred from Anti Anti-Corruption Bureau to monitor internal irregularities, but the proposal was turned down by the government. However, with Lokayukta having over 1900 staff and considering the increasing number of complaints and cases, especially against the police officials, it has become necessary to have an internal monitoring cell for a free and fair probe. Hence, the Lokayukta has set up a unit temporarily and has asked the government to sanction a judicial officials and required staff to head the probe, sources said . Taking serious note of the extortion cases through impersonators, the Lokayukta said that as many as 41 FIRs were registered across the State.
The Hindu
05-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Police officers told not to post photos in uniform on social media
Police officers in Tamil Nadu have been directed not to post their photographs in uniform in social media handles. They have also been told to refrain from sharing confidential information and details of criminal cases in interviews to Television/YouTube channels, podcasts etc in personal capacity. In an order issued to all officers in the rank of Superintendent of Police and above in the State, the Director-General of Police and Head of Police Force Shankar Jiwal said it had come to notice that some officers were posting official matters, including important duties and responsibilities, and their photographs in official uniform, on their personal social media handles. A few officers had given interviews to social media channels in their personal capacity and shared official information relating to cases, victims, accused persons, etc. 'It has also come to the knowledge that some officers attend private functions in official uniform and share sensitive official information,' Mr. Jiwal said and referred to the All India Services (Conduct) Rules and the Tamil Nadu Subordinate Police Officers' Conduct Rules which restrained them from doing so. Mr. Jiwal said going by the conduct rules a police officer invited or intending to participate in a television programme or deliver a broadcast talk should intimate to the government of the particulars relating to the programme or the subject on which he/she proposed to talk. If need be, the entire content to be published should be submitted to the authorities concerned for approval. The DGP said wherever required, approval of senior officers in hierarchy should be obtained by subordinate officers for vetting content and obtaining clearance for participation in private functions and interviews. In case of any violation, action would be taken under the provisions of the conduct rules. 'All officers shall strictly adhere to these instructions and also issue necessary instructions to others within their jurisdiction in this regard,' he said. According to police sources, another advisory was issued asking Commissioners/Superintendents of Police to give short video interviews explaining the content of official press releases issued on various matters.
Indian Express
05-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Karnataka Govt suspends senior IFS officer R Gokul over stand on forest land donated to HMT Ltd in Bengaluru
The Karnataka Government Wednesday suspended a senior Indian Forest Service officer, R Gokul, for allegedly facilitating the handover of forest land worth nearly Rs 14,000 crore, held by the public sector company Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) in Bengaluru, to third parties, including private entities. The government issued the suspension order stating that 'in exercise of the powers under Rule 3(1) (a) of the All India Service (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969, Sri R. Gokul, IFS, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Director General, EMPRI, Bengaluru, is placed under suspension with immediate effect, pending inquiry.' The reason for Gokul's suspension has been cited as his actions regarding the 'denotification of lands granted to HMT measuring 443 Acres 6 guntas situated at Peenya Jalahalli Plantation'. According to the government order, an interlocutory application was filed by forest officials before the Supreme Court in 2020 'without obtaining the approval of the then minister-in-charge or sanction from the state cabinet' for permission to denotify 443.6 acres of land granted to HMT at the Peenya Jalahalli Plantation. Initially, the state government issued notices to Sandeep Dave, a retired IAS officer and the former additional chief secretary for Forest, Ecology and Environment; Vijay Kumar Gogi, retired IFS officer and the former principal secretary for Forest, Ecology and Environment; Smitha Bijjur, IFS, ex-principal secretary, Forest, Ecology and Environment and Gokul. The government has reported receiving replies to the notices from three of the four officers (other than Sandeep Dave) but said that Gokul had written to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after receiving his notice 'seeking protection' in an illegal mining case from the 2010 period where he is a key witness against a mafia that was operated by political figures. The IFS officer also did not obtain permission or inform the government when he filed an 'Intervention Application (113311/2025) in the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India against IA (190307/2024 WP (C) 337/1995) filed by the State Government in the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India for withdrawal of the IA (60477/2020 in WP (C) 337/1995) related to the de-notification of lands belonging to HMT Ltd,' said the suspension order. The government order said the conduct of Gokul 'is in violation of Rule 17 of All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, and the State Government is prima facie satisfied that it is necessary' to place him under suspension with immediate effect. Last week, Karnataka Minister for Forest and Environment Eshwar Khandre announced that the government had recommended action against two serving IFS officers, one retired IFS officer, and one retired IAS officer for filing of an application in the Supreme Court 'seeking permission for denotification of HMT forest land worth over Rs. 14,000 crore'. 'This plantation is owned by HMT. It is illegal for the organisation to sell to government departments/organisations and private individuals. However, the fact that forest officials did not make any attempt to recover the land and, without even drawing the attention of the Cabinet, submitted an Interim Application (IA) to the Supreme Court seeking denotification in 2020 is a cause for doubt,' Khandre has said. The controversy pertains to 599 acres of land in a plantation in the Peenya Jalahalli region in North Bengaluru, which was declared a forest in 1896 and was later transferred to HMT in the 1960s to create industrial infrastructure through a donation deed by the district collector. In recent years, large portions of the land given to HMT by the forest department for industrial purposes have been used to facilitate major real estate projects through the connivance of state and central government officials. Over the last year, a dispute arose over the land between the Union Heavy Industries Ministry headed by H D Kumaraswamy, who is looking at monetising the land to resuscitate the fortunes of HMT, and the state forest department, which is trying to recover the HMT land by arguing that it remains a forest land. In November last year, the Karnataka Government issued notices to the forest officials concerned over the filing of the IA in the SC on the HMT forest land. In January this year, the state government ordered that since 281 acres of the 599 acres of land donated to HMT is vacant land 'without any building,' the forest department must take possession of the vacant forest land. Over 200 acres of the HMT land in Bengaluru have been handed over to private players and others, even as HMT Ltd has collapsed in the last four decades. One of the major transfers of land happened between 1999 and 2004 when the Congress was in power, leading to the construction of apartment complexes by some of the big real estate developers of Bengaluru.
India Gazette
21-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Telangana govt issues strict warning to All India Service officers
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], May 21 (ANI): The Telangana government on Wednesday issued a strong warning to All India Services (AIS) officers, instructing them to avoid any public conduct that may be deemed unbecoming of their position. The warning came in a memo dated May 20, 2025, following recent instances of officers reportedly displaying inappropriate behaviour during public meetings and gatherings. The government noted that such behaviour by AIS officers, including IAS, IPS, and IFS officers, had been exposed in various recent events and was damaging the image of the civil services. According to the memo, these actions had 'reflected poorly on All India Services Officers and impacted the image of the service, undermining the public's faith in the individual's ability to serve.' The memo, issued by K Ramakrishna Rao, Chief Secretary to the Government, cited Rule 3(1) of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, which mandates that 'every Member of Service shall at all times maintain absolute integrity and devotion to duty and shall do nothing unbecoming of a Member of the Service.' The Chief Secretary emphasised that AIS officers must maintain high levels of professionalism, integrity, and decorum in their official responsibilities and public appearances. The government clarified that any officer found violating these expectations would be liable for disciplinary action. 'Henceforth, All India Services officers shall refrain from indulging in acts and gestures which are unbecoming of a Member of the Service in public meetings and gatherings. Any Member of Service who is violating the above instructions is liable for disciplinary action,' the memo stated. The order has been circulated to all IAS officers, and sent specifically to the Director General of Police to notify all IPS officers, and to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests for IFS officers. The General Administration (SPLC) Department forwarded the memo for strict compliance. (ANI)
