The Gujarat Government has ordered the compulsory retirement of two IAS officers, Kankipati Rajesh and Gaurav Dahiya. The action was taken in the public interest as part of "Operation Gangajal", an initiative to review government officials facing serious corruption allegations, criminal cases and disciplinary issues.
The decision was taken after the government reviewed their service records. A state-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary recommended action against the officers. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) of the Central Government then approved their compulsory retirement.
Operation Gangajal is an ongoing administrative campaign by the Gujarat government to remove or suspend corrupt officials.
Kankipati Rajesh was 40 years old when he was compulsorily retired by the Gujarat Government in October 2026. He was born on 23 March 1986. Gaurav Dahiya was 42 years old at the time of his compulsory retirement. He was born on 3 June 1984. Both officers were retired well before the usual retirement age for government employees.
1. Kankipati Rajesh — corruption-related allegations
Kankipati Rajesh, a 2011-batch IAS officer, was posted as Collector of Surendranagar from April 2018 to June 2021. The allegations against him mainly relate to decisions taken during this posting.
Alleged bribes for arms licences:
The CBI case alleged that Rajesh accepted illegal gratification in connection with the approval of arms licences. Investigators looked into 271 arms licences issued during his tenure. Some licences were allegedly approved despite negative security recommendations from the district police.
Government land allegations:
The CBI also accused him of corruption involving the allotment of government land and regularisation of encroachments on government land. The allegations included misuse of his official position to benefit certain people.
Money-laundering investigation:
The Enforcement Directorate subsequently investigated the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED alleged that illegal payments constituted proceeds of crime and reported attaching assets worth approximately ₹1.55 crore, including bank deposits and properties.
Arrest and suspension:
The CBI arrested Rajesh in 2022 in connection with the corruption case. The ED subsequently arrested him under the PMLA. He was later granted bail. He remained under suspension from July 2022 until the recent compulsory-retirement action.
2. Gaurav Dahiya — personal misconduct and disciplinary allegations
Gaurav Dahiya, a 2010-batch Gujarat-cadre IAS officer, faced a different set of controversies. His case mainly involved allegations of personal misconduct, bigamy, cheating and criminal intimidation, along with a separate inquiry into financial transactions.
Complaint by a Delhi-based woman:
In 2019, a woman from Delhi accused Dahiya of having married her while he was allegedly still married to his first wife. She also made allegations of cheating and criminal intimidation. The matter was brought before the authorities and a state-level inquiry was initiated.
Suspension in 2019:
Following a preliminary inquiry by a five-member committee, the Gujarat Government suspended Dahiya in August 2019 and ordered a formal departmental inquiry. The allegations included bigamy and professional misconduct.
Dahiya's defence:
Dahiya denied the allegations. He claimed that he had been honey-trapped and blackmailed. Delhi Police later cleared him in the complaint made by the woman. However, the Gujarat Government had said that separate departmental inquiries concerning other complaints were still pending.
Financial dealings inquiry:
In November 2019, the Gujarat Government ordered a separate inquiry into his financial dealings. Retired IAS officer V.S. Gadhavi was appointed to examine allegations relating to his financial transactions, including the purchase of a flat in Delhi for the woman.
Reinstatement:
His suspension was revoked in July 2023, nearly four years after it began. He was subsequently appointed as Additional Development Commissioner in Gandhinagar. He remained in government service until the latest compulsory-retirement order.
Operation Gangajal
Operation Gangajal is a review exercise by the Gujarat Government. Under the exercise, the service records, performance and disciplinary cases of government officers are examined.
The government is also reviewing the records of several other suspended officers, including some IAS and Gujarat Administrative Service (GAS) officers. Further action could be taken against officers whose records are found to have serious issues.
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