Muktsar DC Rajesh Tripathi suspended over corruption charges

Abhijit Kaplish, 2015-batch IAS officer, has been appointed as the new deputy commissioner of Muktsar.

The Punjab government on Monday suspended Muktsar deputy commissioner Rajesh Tripathi, a 2016-batch IAS officer, following complaints of corruption against him.

The state government had received serious complaints of corruption against Muktsar deputy commissioner Rajesh Tripathi, a 2016-batch IAS officer. (Sourced)

Abhijit Kaplish, 2015-batch IAS officer, has been appointed as the new deputy commissioner of Muktsar.

According to a government spokesperson, the state government had received serious complaints of corruption against Tripathi after which a thorough inquiry was conducted against the IAS officer.

“Rajesh Tripathi has been removed from his post and a vigilance inquiry has been marked against him,” said the spokesperson.

The development comes days after the AAP government issued directions to the deputy commissioners, sub divisional magistrates (SDMs), senior superintendents of police (SSPs) and station house officers (SHOs) to check corruption in their respective areas else face action.

The spokesperson said in consonance with the ‘zero tolerance towards corruption’ of the Bhagwant Mann government had recently issued detailed instructions to all the officers.

As per the instructions, the Punjab government had directed that officers function in a responsive and accountable manner, feedback about each DC, SSP, SDM, tehsildar, naib tehsildar, SP, DSP, SHO and other field officers/officials will be taken not only from the general public but also from the elected representatives like the MPs and MLAs.

It was further directed that the feedback will automatically lead to rewards and punishments for the officers.