India’s Most Corrupt IAS Officers: A List of Those Who Brought Disgrace to the Institution

Tasked with upholding the tenets of governance and service, Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers are often heralded as the ‘Steel Frame of India‘, a term coined by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to denote their indispensable role in maintaining national integrity and implementing policy. However, a series of corruption cases revealed a stark departure from their esteemed role as incorruptible pillars of the Indian bureaucracy. The following list encapsulates the breadth of these scandals, highlighting cases where officers of the law have allegedly breached the very fabric of legal and ethical standards they swore to uphold.

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Sameer Vishnoi (Chhattisgarh Cadre)

Sameer Vishnoi, a 2009 batch IAS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a large-scale corruption case involving the collection of bribes for mining operations. Under his directive, the manual approval process for dispatching minerals was reintroduced, leading to widespread corruption involving the collection of levies for transportation permits. Over a period of 16 months, more than ₹500 crore was allegedly collected as bribes.

Pooja Singhal (Jharkhand Cadre)

Pooja Singhal, an IAS officer of the 2000 batch from the Jharkhand cadre, was arrested by the ED in connection with a money laundering case tied to the embezzlement of MGNREGA funds. Her chartered accountant revealed that a substantial amount of cash recovered during raids belonged to her, which was used for buying property and paying bribes. The allegations include misappropriation of large sums intended for rural development project.

K Rajesh (Gujarat Cadre)

K Rajesh, a 2011 batch IAS officer from the Gujarat cadre, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for his involvement in a bribery case. It was alleged that he accepted bribes for issuing gun licenses and was involved in dubious land deals while serving as the collector of Surendranagar district. His arrest followed a series of raids that uncovered significant incriminating evidence.

Neera Yadav (Uttar Pradesh Cadre)

Neera Yadav was involved in various land scams across Uttar Pradesh and NCR, often allotting land plots in posh localities to politicians and businessmen in exchange for large sums of money. Despite maintaining close political contacts, she was eventually convicted and sentenced to two years in prison for corruption and possessing disproportionate assets by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in 2017.

Babulal Agrawal (Chhattisgarh Cadre)

As State Agriculture Secretary, Babulal Agrawal was found to have assets exceeding ₹500 crores during IT raids, including money in 446 Benami bank accounts and ownership of 16 shell companies used for hawala transactions. His properties were attached by the Enforcement Directorate after his suspension in 2010.

T.O. Sooraj (Kerala Cadre)

T.O. Sooraj faced multiple controversies and accusations, including abetting riots and land grabbing. Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau raids revealed he possessed undeclared properties worth ₹30 crores and cash of ₹20 lakh. His assets included luxury flats in Kochi and Dubai.

Rakesh Bahadur (Uttar Pradesh Cadre)

Involved in a ₹4000 crore land scam in Noida, Rakesh Bahadur was suspended in 2009. Despite these allegations, he was reinstated and appointed as the Chairman of the Noida Development Authority after a change in state government.

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Subhash Ahluwalia (Himachal Pradesh Cadre)

Serving as the Principal Private Secretary to the Chief Minister, Subhash Ahluwalia was investigated for amassing disproportionate assets. He and his wife were suspended and arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, although he was later reinstated following a clearance in departmental inquiries.

Rakesh Kumar Jain (Uttar Pradesh Cadre)

Rakesh Kumar Jain, an IAS officer, faced suspension and arrest in 2010 due to corruption allegations. He was specifically accused of accepting bribes totaling ₹7.5 crores while serving as the Director of the Commerce Department. The charges stemmed from his involvement in facilitating illicit transactions in exchange for personal gain.

Ashok Singhvi (Rajasthan Cadre)

Ashok Singhvi, a senior IAS officer and Principal Secretary (Mines), was arrested by Rajasthan’s Anti Corruption Bureau in a graft case involving ₹2.55 crore. The bribe was allegedly for allowing the reopening of closed mines, leading to the seizure of ₹3.82 crore in illicit cash during raids.

S Malarvizhi (Tamil Nadu Cadre)

S Malarvizhi was investigated by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption for alleged corruption during her tenure as District Collector of Dharmapuri. She is accused of entering into a criminal conspiracy that led to the misappropriation of ₹1.31 crore from government funds.

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