Two Gujarat-cadre Indian Administrative Service officers, K Rajesh and Gaurav Dahiya, have been ordered to retire prematurely with effect from October 1. The Indian Express reported that a senior state General Administration Department official confirmed the decision on Thursday. The official said the Union Department of Personnel and Training acted after a committee chaired by Gujarat’s Chief Secretary reviewed the officers’ service records.
The review examined their previous 15 years of service, according to the official quoted by the newspaper. Navbharat Times separately reported that the General Administration Department issued compulsory-retirement orders covering both officers. The original orders were not available in the sources reviewed, so their detailed wording and any individual conditions could not be independently checked.
Rajesh, from the 2011 IAS batch, had been under suspension since July 2022. Earlier investigations concerned alleged wrongdoing while he was Surendranagar Collector. Dahiya, a 2010-batch officer, was serving as Additional Development Commissioner following his reinstatement in 2023 after an earlier suspension. DeshGujarat also reported the two retirements and their October 1 effective date.
The current development ends their continuing service through premature retirement. It should be distinguished from a criminal conviction: allegations and earlier inquiries do not by themselves establish guilt. The reports reviewed did not include fresh responses from either officer to the retirement decision.