Contempt Charges Against 3 Rajasthan IAS in Pankaj Chaudhary Case

GG News Bureau
Jaipur, 23rd July: A case of contempt of court has been registered against three senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers in Rajasthan – K.K. Pathak, Rajendra Vijay, and Kanishk Kataria – for allegedly defying an order issued by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Jaipur Bench. The charges stem from their alleged non-compliance with the CAT’s directive dated April 30, 2025, concerning a service matter involving senior IPS officer Pankaj Chaudhary.

Notably, one of the accused, Rajendra Vijay, an IAS officer, was arrested last year by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in a disproportionate assets case while serving as the Kota District Collector. Although he was suspended by the state government for four months, his reinstatement in January this year raised eyebrows, with allegations of his influence preventing stricter action despite an ongoing case under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act.

Kanishk Kataria, a topper of his batch, recently moved from his post as Joint Secretary (Personnel-I) in the Personnel Department to Commissioner, Bharatpur Development Authority, after serving for over a year. K.K. Pathak has been serving as the Secretary of Personnel for the past 10 months. Pankaj Chaudhary reportedly met these officials in December 2024 to resolve the issues personally, but upon failing to find a solution, he approached the court. The current contempt case arises from the alleged deliberate defiance of the court’s subsequent directives.

Pankaj Chaudhary, a senior IPS officer, has a reputation as a “fighter” who consistently challenges systemic flaws and arbitrary practices. In his service matter case before the CAT, he not only presented his own arguments but also submitted records exposing irregularities and arbitrary actions by bureaucrats in Rajasthan. He highlighted instances where IPS officers, including some who had faced imprisonment, received promotions, and those involved in alleged fake encounters were periodically protected by state governments.

Sources indicate that the court could initiate several actions under contempt of court proceedings against these officers for their alleged deliberate non-compliance. In recent years, several senior IAS officers in Rajasthan have either been penalized by the High Court and other courts in contempt cases or have been acquitted after submitting written apologies.

Those familiar with Pankaj Chaudhary describe his methodical approach: he first attempts to resolve issues by meeting concerned officials personally, presenting legal and technical arguments. If a solution isn’t reached, he sends formal correspondence outlining the points. If justice remains elusive, he then procures complete information through RTI (Right to Information) requests. Finally, armed with all documents and evidence, he approaches the judiciary, fighting his cases through competent and qualified lawyers in Jaipur, Delhi, and other states.