The Uttar Pradesh government, under its much-publicized zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, took disciplinary action on Wednesday against two state tax officers, suspending them for grave misconduct and dereliction of duty.
Himanshu Sudhir Lal, a GST officer posted in Muzaffarnagar’s Special Investigation Branch, has been suspended for allegedly intimidating businessman Rakesh Jain and demanding a bribe.
Following a complaint and a subsequent inquiry led by the Additional Commissioner (Grade-I) of Saharanpur, disciplinary action was recommended, and the officer was relieved from duty and attached to the Jhansi division for the duration of his suspension.
In a separate but equally serious case, Seema Singh, a female GST officer posted in Sant Kabir Nagar, has been suspended for facilitating a fraudulent tax refund. She allegedly failed to verify the registration details of ‘Yadav Enterprises,’ a bogus firm which later passed on fake Input Tax Credit (ITC) worth Rs 18.96 crore without any actual supply of goods.
The lapse caused significant revenue loss to the state exchequer. Officials confirmed that had proper site verification and due diligence been conducted, the fraudulent transaction could have been avoided. During her suspension, Singh has been attached to Ayodhya.
High Court Acts Tough on Bureaucratic Defiance
In an unrelated but equally significant development, the Allahabad High Court has cracked down on non-compliance by state officials in judicial matters. The court issued a bailable warrant against Rohit Mishra, Project Manager of the Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation’s second unit in Prayagraj, for ignoring previous contempt notices.
The warrant was issued by Justice Neeraj Tiwari while hearing a contempt petition filed by one Macoolal. The court noted that despite being served with a contempt notice for failing to implement its earlier order, Mishra did not appear before the bench nor did he file any affidavit to justify the delay. Terming this conduct as unacceptable and in clear contempt of court, Justice Tiwari directed the Chief Judicial Magistrate to ensure Mishra’s presence in court.
A Governance Message: Ethics, Accountability, and Legal Compliance
These two parallel developments underscore a renewed focus by the judiciary and executive on tightening institutional accountability in Uttar Pradesh. While the Yogi Adityanath-led government has repeatedly claimed zero tolerance toward corruption, Wednesday’s actions reinforce the seriousness of that commitment.
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The suspension of GST officials—especially in a sensitive domain like tax administration—sends a strong message that lapses in vigilance or integrity will be met with swift punishment. Meanwhile, the High Court’s stern stance against state bureaucrats dodging legal compliance underscores the judiciary’s growing impatience with administrative laxity.
As public scrutiny over government transparency intensifies, both actions represent critical moments in enforcing ethical standards across both fiscal and legal governance in India’s most populous state. Whether these moves mark a trend or remain isolated flashes of accountability will be watched closely in the coming months.