Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday directed Chief Secretary R.P. Mandal to suspend an IAS officer who has been charged with raping a woman, and to launch a high-level inquiry into the allegations.
The Chhattisgarh police had on Wednesday registered a case against the 2007 batch IAS officer, who is the former Collector of Janjgir-Champa, on charges of raping a woman on the collectorate premises after threatening to remove her husband from government service.
Janak Prasad Pathak allegedly raped the woman on May 15, when he held the office of Collector. He also repeatedly sent her obscene messages and threats on the mobile phone, the woman told the Janjgir police. He was appointed director of land records last week.
The government, in exercise of powers conferred by Sub-rule (3) of Rule 3 of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, has passed an order suspending him with immediate effect. Prima facie, his conduct “has been found to be unbecoming of an officer and is violate of rule 3 of AIS (Conduct) Rules, 1968,” said the order issued by the General Administration Department.
The police have registered a case against the 53-year-old under Sections 376 (punishment for rape), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 509 (B) (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.
