In an interesting turn of event, Raj Kumar Gupta, a 2011 batch IPS officer, promoted from state service, was punished and at the same time rewarded with promotion n the day of his retirement on April 30, 2025.
The ‘controversial' officer was promoted to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the pay band Level 13A in the pay matrix with effect from January 2025.
He was simultaneously given two prior elevation in the pay bands – junior administrative grade (JAG) pay band level 12 effective from 1.01.21 and selection grade pay band Level 13 in the pay matrix from 1.01.2024.
The government at the same time took punitive action against him for a pending chargesheet downgrading his time scale of pay by one stage between 21.01.2025 and 29.04.2025 without any cumulative impact and not adversely affecting his pension.
“This is a classic case how government can punish an officer without pinching a bit. And at the same time rewarding him with promotion. Why would officer mind such minor punishments which are neither affecting their seniority nor pension benefits,” said a senior IPS officer.
How Gupta hit the headlines?
Gupta was appointed as Superintendent of Police Dausa in March 2022. His short tenure of three months will be remembered for his fascination for felicitation from various social groups of the district. He spent most of the time donning garlands and giving speeches. Unhappy with his service style, the state government cut short his tenure.
From Dausa, he was transferred to State Disaster Management Relief Force (SSRF) as commandant where he happened to stumble upon IPS Pankaj Choudhary, who refused to get relieved from the post. Choudhary moved Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) against the transfer, which was stayed by the tribunal.
That resulted into an unpleasant situation for both Gupta and Choudhary.
The BuckStopper, run by a group of seasoned journalists, holds the powerful accountable. The buck stops with them, as they cannot shrug off their official responsibilities.
