The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has arrested retired 1980-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Yogesh Kumar in Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar over alleged irregularities in the 2014 recruitment of nearly 1,000 livestock extension officers.
Kumar, 72, was the principal secretary of the animal husbandry department when the recruitment process took place in 2014. Investigators had earlier indicated evidence implicating the then animal husbandry minister, Raj Kishore Singh. The state government, however, has not yet sanctioned his prosecution.
“Yogesh Kumar was arrested from Gomti Nagar in Lucknow after evidence was found against him. Further legal proceedings are underway,” EOW director general Jai Narain Singh said.
The arrest brings recruitment exercises during the previous Samajwadi Party (SP) regime back into focus ahead of the 2027 assembly elections. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has repeatedly targeted previous governments over alleged recruitment irregularities while projecting his administration’s emphasis on transparent, merit-based selection.
The examination was held on February 2, 2014, for 1,198 livestock extension officer posts across 17 divisions, excluding Saharanpur. According to the recruitment case details, 1,005 candidates were selected, trained, and appointed.
But the selection process came under scrutiny over alleged violations of recruitment rules and manipulation of examination marks.
{{/usCountry}}But the selection process came under scrutiny over alleged violations of recruitment rules and manipulation of examination marks.
{{/usCountry}}The state government ordered a special investigation team (SIT) probe in December 2017. The SIT police station registered an FIR in 2019 under provisions of the Indian Penal Code relating to criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, conspiracy, and destruction of evidence, along with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Investigators have already filed charge sheets against 25 of the 28 accused.
According to EOW, the prescribed procedure was bypassed when additional directors sought centralised evaluation of OMR sheets, citing a lack of funds and difficulties at the divisional level.
On February 19, 2014, they asked the department’s director to appoint an institution to evaluate answer sheets from all 17 divisions. Investigators alleged that the then director, Dr Rudra Pratap Singh, and other senior officials later arranged for the Feroze Gandhi Institute in Rae Bareli to conduct the evaluation, despite the institute’s lack of prior experience. EOW also alleged that the contract was executed retrospectively, violating recruitment rules.
Kumar’s arrest, alongside the pending prosecution sanction against Singh, has put the spotlight on the recruitment exercise.