Latest news with #AshokKhemka
Hindustan Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Graft cases against IAS officers: Haryana declines to grant approval to FIRs against Ashok Khemka, IAS colleague
The Haryana government has declined to accord ex-post facto (retrospective) approval to a first information report (FIR) registered in 2022 under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act against former IAS officer, Ashok Khemka in 2022 at Panchkula. This means that the police after a period of three years will seek the cancellation of the FIR against the former IAS officer in a court of law. The decision comes as a major relief for Khemka who retired from service on April 30. Khemka, a now retired 1991 batch IAS officer, was booked in April 2022 by the police for allegedly making appointments in an illegal and arbitrary manner during his stint as managing director of Haryana State Warehousing Corporation (HSWC). The state government has also declined to grant ex post facto approval to another April 2022 FIR registered under PC Act on a cross complaint by Khemka against his IAS colleague, Sanjeev Verma who headed the Haryana State Warehousing Corporation (HSWC) when the PC Act case was registered against Khemka. Chief minister, Nayab Saini on May 1 ordered that the plea of the police to grant ex-post facto approval for the PC Act FIRs be refused as it was not in tune with the amended anti-graft law. Officials said that as per Section 17-A of the PC Act, prior approval of the state government is required for registering an FIR for any offence alleged to have been committed by a public servant under the act pertaining to the decisions taken in discharge of official duties. This has been held by the Supreme Court in its November 14, 2019, judgment in Yashwant Sinha versus CBI. The May 1 decision is in consonance with August 18, 2022, communication by the then chief secretary to the director general of police who had asked the police to take further action accordingly. Hindustan Times was the first to report on April 29, 2022, that the FIR against the erstwhile civil servant was not sustainable in the eyes of law as it was registered in contravention of Section 17-A of PC Act. This state government's decision to decline ex post approval to FIRs was also supported by a legal opinion of 2019 tendered by the then Haryana advocate general. Officials said that the AG's opinion said that Section 17-A cast a duty on the police officer to obtain approval from the competent authority before conducting an investigation against any public servant for the offences relatable to the discharge of his official functions or duties. Chapter 12 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) mandates that the investigation can only be conducted by the police officer after the registration of FIR. So before registering a case under provisions of PC Act against a public servant, prior approval from the competent authority is mandatory, the top law officer had held. The Haryana Police had booked Khemka on April 26, 2022, under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act for allegedly making appointments in an illegal and arbitrary manner during his stint as managing director of Haryana State Warehousing Corporation (HSWC). Besides Khemka, a former HSWC manager Som Nath, former assistant manager SC Kansal, and former assistant Naresh Kumar were also booked on under Section 420 of the IPC for cheating and Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (criminal misconduct by a public servant). Khemka's colleague, Sanjeev Verma was booked the same day (April 26, 2022) under IPC provisions for allegedly framing an incorrect document with intent to cause injury, false information with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person, threatening any person to give false evidence, criminal conspiracy following a cross complaint by Khemka and on the intervention of the then home minister, Anil Vij. The police later added Section 13 of the PC Act (criminal misconduct by a public servant) in the FIR against Verma.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
'Upright' IAS officer Ashok Khemka, who cancelled the mutation of Robert Vadra's Gurugram land deal, retires
Senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka, widely recognised for his integrity throughout a career spanning nearly 34 years and marked by 57 postings, is set to retire on Wednesday. A 1991-batch officer from the Haryana cadre, Khemka will superannuate as Additional Chief Secretary in the Transport Department , a role he assumed in December 2024. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack Nuclear Power! How India and Pakistan's arsenals stack up Does America have a plan to capture Pakistan's nuclear weapons? Airspace blockade: India plots a flight path to skip Pakistan Khemka rose to national prominence in 2012 when he annulled the mutation of a land deal in Gurugram involving Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. (In land records, a mutation refers to the process of updating ownership following a transfer.) Born in Kolkata on April 30, 1965, Khemka holds a in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Kharagpur (1988), a PhD in Computer Science from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), and an MBA with a focus on Business Administration and Finance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Hop Giang: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo While in service, he also completed his LLB from Panjab University. 57 transfers in long bureaucratic career With 57 transfers during his career, probably the highest among the state's bureaucracy, Khemka last December returned to the transport department, which is currently being handled by Minister Anil Vij. The move came nearly 10 years after he was transferred out as transport commissioner, in the first term of the then-BJP government headed by Manohar Lal Khattar. Live Events At the time of his removal, Khemka had been in the transport department for only four months. In 2023, Khemka wrote to Khattar and offered to "root out corruption" with a stint in the vigilance department. He said he had sacrificed his service career in his zeal to end corruption. After a round of promotions over two years back, Khemka tweeted: "Congratulations to my batchmates newly appointed as Secretaries to GOI! While this is an occasion for merry, it brings equal measure of despondency for one's own self having been left behind." He added, "Straight trees are always cut first. No regrets. With renewed resolve, I shall persist." In the past more than 12 years, Khemka has been posted in departments considered "low profile." Over his entire career, on average, he has been transferred about every six months.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Sorry, if I rubbed anyone the wrong way': IAS officer Ashok Khemka's goodbye message
NEW DELHI: "I apologise if during this journey I rubbed anyone the wrong way," IAS officer Ashok Khemka said on the day of his retirement, marking the end of a bureaucratic journey that was anything but ordinary. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Known as much for his relentless integrity as for the political storms that often surrounded him, Khemka's 33-year career came to a close on Wednesday. Taking to platform X, Khemka wrote, "Today I complete my IAS career. Thanks to my family, colleagues and all well-wishers, without whose unflinching support this journey would not have been possible. I apologise if during this journey I rubbed anyone the wrong way." A 1991-batch officer, Khemka is perhaps best remembered for his decision in 2012 to annul a controversial land deal between Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's husband Robert Vadra and real estate major DLF—a move that catapulted him into the national spotlight and cemented his image as a whistleblower unafraid of taking on the powerful. That decision, however, came at a cost. Over the course of his service, Khemka was transferred no fewer than 57 times, often to departments seen as peripheral or without policymaking weight. Despite facing political pushback under both Congress and BJP governments, Khemka remained steadfast in his commitment to clean governance . He retired as Additional Chief Secretary in Haryana's Transport Department but spent much of his career in less influential posts like archaeology, museums, and science & technology—even after being momentarily assigned to key roles under ministers like Anil Vij. His career arc—marked by repeated administrative sidelining—stood in stark contrast to the public support he garnered, particularly during the 2014 elections when the BJP projected his stand on the Vadra-DLF deal as emblematic of its anti-corruption stance. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now But once in power, the same party did little to elevate him. In fact, Khemka openly voiced his disillusionment in a 2019 letter to then Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, accusing the government of transferring him based on 'extraneous and personal considerations.' In that letter, he lamented the declining ideals of bureaucracy, writing, 'Governance is no longer a service; it is a business.' Now, as he steps away from the civil services, Khemka plans to reinvent himself as a legal professional . 'I will apply to the bar council for a licence to practice as an advocate,' he told The Times of India, indicating that his mission to serve the public will continue—just in a different capacity. The IAS Officers Association gave him a formal send-off, attended by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi. But for those who've followed Khemka's career, it's clear that his legacy won't be defined by his farewell, but by the fearless and often lonely path he chose to walk in public service. Whether his next chapter in law will echo the same ethos of accountability remains to be seen—but few doubt that Ashok Khemka will continue to make his presence felt.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Retired IAS officer Ashok Khemka plans to start new innings as lawyer
Retired IAS officer Ashok Khemka CHANDIGARH: Ashok Khemka , the Haryana IAS officer best known for annulling a controversial land deal involving Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's husband Robert Vadra and real estate giant DLF in 2012, has retired from service and now plans to begin a new chapter—as a lawyer. Ending a 33-year-long career that saw an extraordinary 57 transfers, often to "inconsequential" posts, Khemka told The Times of India that he will be applying to the Bar Council for a license to practice law. 'I will apply to the bar council for a licence to practice as an advocate,' he confirmed, signaling his intent to continue serving the public, albeit from a different platform. A 1991-batch officer, Khemka retired on Wednesday as Additional Chief Secretary in the Haryana Transport Department. His tenure was marked by repeated clashes with successive governments—both Congress and BJP—stemming from his reputation as a whistleblower and a strict enforcer of rules. Despite being briefly entrusted with senior roles, including his last posting under Minister Anil Vij, Khemka was often shuffled between departments such as archaeology, museums, and science & technology, with little policy influence. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Click Here - This Might Save You From Losing Money Expertinspector Click Here Undo The BJP had once hailed Khemka's stand on the Vadra-DLF deal as a symbol of its anti-corruption plank in the 2014 general elections. However, once in power both at the Centre and in Haryana, the party offered him few substantial roles. Khemka did not shy away from expressing his disappointment. In a 2019 letter to then CM Manohar Lal Khattar, he criticized the state for transferring him based on 'extraneous and personal considerations.' 'Governance is no longer a service; it is a business,' he had written, expressing frustration with the erosion of public service values. Despite the turbulence, Khemka remained committed to the idea of public accountability. He was given a formal farewell by the IAS Officers Association in the presence of Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi. Now, as he transitions into the legal field, observers will be watching whether Khemka's next innings brings the same principled activism that defined his bureaucratic career.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Khemka ends career marked by 57 transfers & 'inconsequential' roles
CHANDIGARH: Haryana bureaucrat Ashok Khemka, whose 2012 decision to cancel a controversial Gurgaon land deal involving Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's husband Robert Vadra and realty firm DLF cemented his reputation as a stickler for rules, retired from service on Wednesday after a career marked by an astonishing 57 transfers . The 1991 batch IAS officer retired as additional chief secretary of transport department. BJP had flagged the Vadra-DLF deal as a symbol of corruption during its 2014 Lok Sabha campaign against the then UPA govt. But Khemka didn't quite become anyone's blue-eyed boy. While BJP came to govt at the Centre and the state, the bureaucrat remained a rolling stone, with no consequential assignment coming his way until the fag end of his career. He was appointed additional chief secretary last Dec in a department headed by minister Anil Vij, who is known to trust him. For some time, Khemka was posted in the science and technology department, which Vij previously headed. Most of his tenure, first under Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress govt and then BJP ministry, was spent in the archaeology and museums department. BJP had once cited Khemka's alleged persecution as a manifestation of Congress getting even with "a whistleblower". But even before the party had completed a year at the Centre since winning the 2024 polls, he was back in a purportedly inconsequential role. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Intel Laptops + 1:1 Support for Your Team Lenovo Pro Benefits Learn More Undo Khemka had vented on social media and written to the govt about "mistreatment" on several occasions. In a letter ex-Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar in 2019, he said some of his transfers at the time were "not in public interest, but based on extraneous and personal considerations". Referring to the DLF-Vadra land deal, which he cancelled after noticing alleged irregularities, Khemka had said: "The promise made to the nation at the time of the 2014 elections is now forgotten." "Governance is no longer a service; it is a business. Only a few fools like me will think and act like trustees of the public faith. Hoping against hope you will not throw this letter into the dustbin, I also request you to please accord me permission to write and seek an audience from the PM on the issue highlighted in this letter in public interest," he wrote. He was given a farewell by the IAS Officers Association in the presence of chief secretary Anurag Rastogi. Khemkatold TOI he planned to start a new innings as a lawyer. "I will apply to the bar council for a licence to practice as an advocate," he said.
