Operation Gangajal: Gujarat Compulsorily Retires Two More Senior GAS Officers, Issues Show-Cause Notice to Suspended IPS Officer Jagdish Patel

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government has intensified its crackdown on corruption and administrative irregularities under ‘Operation Gangajal’, compulsorily retiring two more senior Gujarat Administrative Service (GAS) officers and initiating proceedings against suspended IPS officer Jagdish Patel in connection with the Amreli Bitcoin extortion case. The state Home Department has issued Patel a show-cause notice on the proposal to compulsorily retire him. The latest actions against senior officials in the administrative and police establishments have drawn renewed attention to the government’s efforts to enforce accountability within the state machinery.

The General Administration Department (GAD), following a service review, has compulsorily retired D. I. Bhaglani and J. M. Tuwar. Bhaglani, a selection-grade GAS officer, was serving as Joint Commissioner of the Gujarat State Tribal Development Residential Educational Institutions Society (GSTDREIS). He had approximately three years of service remaining and was reportedly expected to be considered for promotion to the IAS cadre within the next year. His retirement before the anticipated promotion makes the decision particularly significant in administrative circles.

Tuwar, a senior-scale GAS officer, was serving as Managing Director of the Gujarat Safai Kamdar Vikas Corporation. He had approximately seven years of service remaining when the government ordered his compulsory retirement.

Senior GAS officer Ketaki Vyas had also been removed from service under the same campaign earlier. According to the available details, five senior Additional Collector-level GAS officers have faced similar action over the past year.

Suspended IPS Officer Jagdish Patel Faces Action in Bitcoin Extortion Case

The government’s latest move also brings a senior police officer under scrutiny. Jagdish Patel was the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Amreli when the multi-crore Bitcoin extortion case came to light in 2016-17. In the case, a court has sentenced 14 accused, including a former MLA, to life imprisonment. According to the information available, Patel has also been convicted in connection with the case.

The state Home Department has issued Patel a show-cause notice, seeking his response to the proposal for compulsory retirement. The notice is part of the process and does not, by itself, constitute a final decision. Further action will depend on his response and the prescribed administrative procedure.

Earlier, in the beginning of October, the Central Government compulsorily retired two suspended IAS officers of the Gujarat cadre, K. Rajesh and Gaurav Dahiya, following a 15-year service review. If the proposal against Patel is approved, it would mark another significant action against an IPS officer of the Gujarat cadre under the campaign.

Government Claims Action Against More Than 86 Officers Since 2023

According to the state government, ‘Operation Gangajal’, launched in 2023, aims to strengthen accountability in the administration and address corruption and irregularities. More than 86 Class I and Class II officers have reportedly faced various forms of action, including compulsory retirement, departmental inquiries and criminal proceedings.

The campaign spans several departments, including the administrative services, police, engineering, revenue, panchayat, health, urban development, finance, forest and environment, agriculture, cooperation, and labour and employment.

The available department-wise figures include more than 20 police personnel, among them four Deputy Superintendents of Police (DySPs) and nine Police Inspectors (PIs). Action has also reportedly been taken against 21 engineers from various departments and 12 officials in the revenue and panchayat sectors.

In the health department, 18 personnel, including seven doctors, have reportedly faced action. The figures also include six officials from urban development, five from finance, and seven from forest and environment.

Additionally, eight officials from agriculture and cooperation and eight from labour and employment have reportedly faced action. More than 17 officials from other departments are also included in the figures provided.

The successive actions against senior administrative and police officers have brought the issues of accountability and service review back into focus. However, the effectiveness of the campaign will ultimately depend not merely on the number of officials facing action, but also on the findings of inquiries, the disposal of cases and demonstrable improvements in administrative accountability.