Chandigarh: A 2014 batch woman IAS officer of the Haryana cadre has resigned from the prestigious service, citing apprehensions of “personal safety on government duty”. The officer, Rani Nagar, who hails from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, tendered her resignation to the Haryana chief secretary Monday.
In her resignation letter summary to Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora, Nagar stated: “I do hereby most humbly submit to you my resignation from the post of Indian administrative service with immediate effect that is effective from date 4 May 2020. The reason for submitting this resignation is personal safety on government duty.”
She put up her resignation letter on her Facebook page Monday afternoon, along with a post that said she along with her sister had taken permission to go to her hometown in Ghaziabad. An hour later, she posted on the page that the car which was carrying her and her sister to Ghaziabad had broken down and they were now waiting at the Gharonda toll plaza. She posted later the car had been repaired and that they were on their way again.
ThePrint approached the chief secretary and the Chief Minister’s Office for a comment, and a response is awaited. This report will be updated when they reply.
Meanwhile, Rani Nagar could not be contacted as her mobile phone was switched off.
Also read: To stop entry of ‘corona carriers’ from Delhi, Haryana digs up roads after sealing borders
Sexual harassment accusations against boss
Nagar was posted as additional director in the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, and director of the Haryana Archives. She was in the news in June 2018 when she had accused her then boss, senior IAS officer Sunil Gulati, of sexual harassment. ThePrint had named her with her explicit permission.
At the time, Nagar was posted as additional secretary in the animal husbandry department, while Gulati was additional chief secretary. She went public with her complaint and posted her experience on her Facebook page, besides giving written complaints to the chief secretary.
Following an inquiry, Gulati was absolved of all charges.
Series of complaints and Facebook posts
Apart from Gulati, Nagar has also complained against some other officers of the Haryana government. In July 2018, she complained against a cab driver to the Mohali police, and also posted the entire incident on her Facebook page.
Nagar has been living in the Chandigarh UT guest house since May 2018. In November 2018, she complained about finding the door of a room open on her return. She posted on her Facebook page that despite several complaints against Gulati, no action was taken against him, and that she was susceptible to harm.
On 17 April this year, she put up a video also featuring her sister on Facebook, saying she had moved a Chandigarh court in 2019 against Gulati and some Chandigarh Police officers. “My life is in constant danger, and in case any harm comes to me or my sister or we are untraceable, then this statement be submitted before the court in Chandigarh,” she had requested her Facebook friends.
On 23 April, she wrote on her Facebook page that she has decided to resign from the IAS but since there was a curfew in Chandigarh, she and her sister could not leave, but once the lockdown or curfew was opened, she would resign and take permission to go back to her hometown, Ghaziabad.
On 30 April, she wrote to the Haryana chief secretary to permit her to use her official vehicle to travel to Ghaziabad. On 1 May, she again wrote to the chief secretary, this time asking for permission to transport household belongings to Ghaziabad.
Also read: Haryana claims it has screened entire population for flu symptoms, says situation not alarming
Congress questions govt on resignation
Criticising Manohar Lal Khattar’s government for Nagar’s resignation, the Congress’ national spokesperson Randeep Surjewala in a video statement issued Monday afternoon said if an IAS officer found her personal safety threatened in Haryana, then “there is nobody” who is safe in the state.
खट्टर साहेब,
आप सरकार चला रहे हैं,
या
आए दिन गड़बड़झाले की दुकान!
जब भाजपा-जजपा शासन में महिला IAS अधिकारी ही सेफ़ नही, ड्यूटी पर खुद को असुरक्षित पा इस्तीफ़ा देने की नौबत है, तो हरियाणा की 2.5 करोड़ भोली भाली जनता का कौन रखवाला है?
क्या मुख्य मंत्री आगे बढ़ कर कारण बताएँगे? pic.twitter.com/y91zzCoqjt
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) May 4, 2020
“Is this not a ‘no-confidence’ on your government? Is this not proof of your government’s incompetence? Haryana wants to know the reason why… Will Chief Minister Mr Khattar come forth and provide one?” Surjewala said.
ThePrint approached Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala for a response, and he said he would get back. This report will be updated when he responds.
Also read: Haryana doubles salaries of healthcare officials and workers fighting Covid-19
govt reaction must create trust in every women employee
This is total failure of khatar govt.idiot know the exact reason of madam rani nagar.idont blame any party but but this is total harassment.of..BC..class..
Rightly said गधे पंजरी खा रहे हैं और पढे घास छिल रहे हैं ,this is quite disheartening. Right and honest persons must not be discouraged.
It is a big shame on this government that a women IAS officer getting mentally harassed like this .why action has been delayed by the govt..
Very sad and bad culture is growing in our indian high profile societies. An IAS, every one knows that this is high prestigious and ownrable position in indian goverment services. Surprising In the events, if this type of ladies (indian female IAS ) are not safe in our country than how we can believe that common people are safe 100 %. Unbelievable. Goverment should strongly take an action against the incident and to avoiding such behaves creating in other places.
Lady IAS holding high office had faced humiliation and harassment earlier also. She’ll not be the last case. The right course will be to enssure justice to her and nonetheless if she is determined to resign, she should go with her head high with dignity. She should not go with a feeling of helplessness as being one denied of justice and protection.
The authorities should, I feel, look at it in this way.
Genuine reasons behind her resignation to be looked in to by an independent women support agency going in details of various available documents.
A lady of IAS cadre levelling charges against her senior and resigning her job is a serious matter should not be taken lightly. She may be offered a posting in her home state.
The accused , if guilty, must get the sack.
Kyu women, girls safe nahi hai India society Mai….
Madam Rani Nagar I A S resignation should not be accepted, in such cases I A S cadre should be changed and transferred immediately and an enquiry should be heald against Gulati I A S.
These types of incidents spoiles the image of BJP government.
What’s there to spoil?. It already spoiled!
Print will always give news against government. Is Print praised government so far?
A dignified and we’ll educated lady can’t say anything wrong against her higher bosses of sexual harrassment she has been attempted to with sexual favours from the Power that be. It’s a shameful act on the part of the higher IAS officer and an enquiry be instituted against the act so that the real truth be allowed to open. Sometimes an decent officer should not only be rest content with his righteousness but also pretend to be honest in his behaviour. Sex hungry men should be given minimum punishment by putting hin in garage posting for 3 years and then only they will realise about the sheen they get from earth and if given VR, then they will stand in a ration shop for rice and dal with no yes man surrounding them, let alone the abuse of power with undue sexual favours.
S.Sarkar Salt Lake City Kolkata
GULATI PHOS GAYA.
The lady appears to be Schizophrenic.
What she has done is correct. In Government services in India is not safe for life for the honost officers. It is quite true. We can count in future the number of honest in single digit.
In Judiciary also the same stage. For all the official posts in Government service, now a days, honost and well qualified persons are not coming. They prefer to go abroad for their safety of life.
She is not going to resign, it’s just a stunt