Resignation row: Bareilly magistrate suspended for ‘indiscipline’, faces inquiry

“Have already tendered my resignation...not bound to comply with any government orders, and there is no question of me resuming duties at the Shamli Collectorate,” says Agnihotri

BAREILLY Even as a probe was initiated into the alleged violations of the UP Government Servant (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1999, by him, suspended PCS officer Alankar Agnihotri staged a dramatic protest at the Collectorate on Tuesday, levelling serious allegations of harassment, caste-based abuse against the district administration, claiming a well-planned conspiracy against him.

In his letter, PCS officer Alankar Agnihotri stated that his decision was prompted by two key issues – the implementation of the new UGC regulations and the incident during the Mauni Amavasya bath at the Prayagraj Magh Mela. (Sourced)

“I have already tendered my resignation to the governor and the Election Commission. I am not bound to comply with any government orders, and there is no question of me resuming duties at the Shamli Collectorate,” said Agnihotri.

The UP government suspended Bareilly city magistrate Alankar Agnihotri on charges of indiscipline following his resignation from service in protest against a “complete erosion of democratic and republican values”, government policies, especially the new UGC rules and the alleged assault on disciples of Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand during the Prayagraj Magh Mela.

Following the suspension, Agnihotri was attached to the Shamli Collectorate, while the investigation into the matter had been entrusted to the divisional commissioner, officials said.

Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, divisional commissioner (Bareilly), said: “Following government orders, a probe has been initiated into the reported violations of the Uttar Pradesh Government Servant (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1999 by the suspended city magistrate.”

Agnihotri appeared visibly agitated throughout the day. In the morning, he was allegedly prevented from holding a meeting with supporters at his government residence and was placed under house arrest. Following this, he reached the Collectorate to meet the DM around 11:30am. However, finding the main gate closed, Agnihotri sat on the ground near the gate along with his supporters and began a sit-in protest.

He remained seated for nearly an hour as supporters raised slogans against the district administration and the state government. During this time, ADM (city) Saurabh Dubey, ADM (judicial) Desh Deepak Singh, ADM (administration) Poornima Singh and senior police officials were present at the Collectorate gate, though they were seen avoiding media cameras.

Around 12:30pm, officials escorted Agnihotri into the Collectorate auditorium on the pretext of holding talks with the DM. However, police personnel restricted media entry into the auditorium, drawing sharp objections from Agnihotri. He made it clear that he would not hold any discussion with officials without the presence of the media. Despite waiting for some time, the DM did not arrive.

Subsequently, Agnihotri came out of the auditorium and, along with his supporters, began protesting outside the DM’s chamber. He joined the sloganeering against the district administration and the UP government. The protest continued until 1:33pm, but as the DM did not turn up, Agnihotri eventually left for his residence with his supporters.

Speaking to media persons, Agnihotri said his sole purpose for waiting at the Collectorate was to ask the DM who had made the alleged derogatory remark during a phone call that came from Lucknow on January 26 evening around 7:30pm. He claimed that an officer had passed an objectionable comment about him during the call and insisted on knowing the identity of the official concerned.

The protest led to a chaotic situation inside the Collectorate. Senior administrative officers and staff members were seen present during the demonstration, but they largely remained silent spectators as the situation unfolded.

Agnihotri’s resignation on Republic Day triggered widespread discussion within administrative and political circles across the state. In a five-page resignation letter addressed to the governor and the Election Commission of India (ECI), the 2019-batch UP civil services officer alleged erosion of democratic and republican values under the present system. He claimed that neither democracy nor republic remained, describing the prevailing governance structure as “bhram-tantra” (a system of confusion).

In his letter, Agnihotri stated that his decision was prompted by two key issues – the implementation of the new UGC regulations and the incident during the Mauni Amavasya bath at the Prayagraj Magh Mela. He alleged that the local administration personnel assaulted Jyotish Peeth Jyotirmath Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand, his disciples, batuks, and Brahmins.

He alleged that elderly acharyas were beaten and that a young Brahmin student was thrown to the ground, dragged by his ‘shikha’ (tuft of hair) and assaulted, leading to the violation of his dignity. He described the ‘shikha’ as a sacred religious and cultural symbol of Brahmins and seers, and stated that he himself belonged to the Brahmin community.

Calling the Prayagraj episode serious and alarming, Agnihotri wrote that such incidents under the present government shake the conscience of any ordinary Brahmin. He alleged that the local administration and the current state government were functioning with an “anti-Brahmin mindset and undermining the dignity and identity of seers.”

Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati spoke to Agnihotri over the phone. As seen in videos, Shankaracharya said: “We propose to give you a bigger rank in the field of religion than the rank given by the government.”

Agnihotri also strongly criticised the new UGC regulations, alleging that students from the general category were being treated as “self-declared offenders”. He claimed the new rules could jeopardise students’ careers and personal lives, lead to exploitation and create inequality.

A purported photograph of Agnihotri holding a protest poster went viral on social media on Monday. The poster read: “#UGC roll back…take back the black law. India will not tolerate the insult of Shankaracharya and seers.”

Notified on January 13, UGC’s Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, have sparked widespread criticism from general category students who argue that the framework could lead to discrimination against them. Introduced to stop caste-based discrimination in colleges and universities, the regulations mandate institutions to set up special committees, helplines and monitoring teams to handle complaints, especially from SC, ST and OBC students.

On Monday evening, Agnihotri visited the DM’s residence, where he stayed for nearly an hour. After coming out, he levelled serious allegations against the district administration. Later that night, he vacated his government residence.

Agnihotri claimed that he was held “hostage” for about 45 minutes by the DM and other officials at the DM house, where he alleged casteist abuse like “Sala pandit pagal ho gaya hai” (”This bloody pandit has gone mad”). He claimed he was released after they learned he had informed the media, and they pressured him to withdraw the resignation and change his statement.