Suspended IAS officer Durga replies to charge sheet

Suspended IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal tonight submitted her reply to the charge sheet Uttar Pradesh government had served on her over the demolition of the wall of an under-construction mosque in Gautam Buddha Nagar.

According to sources, the 28-year-old officer, who was the SDM of GB Nagar, near Delhi, in her reply submitted this evening, has stated that she was innocent. The Akhilesh Yadav government had on August 4 served a charge sheet on Nagpal whose suspension on July 27 sparked a huge controversy.

Nagpal had been given 15-day time to file her reply to the state government and the deadline expires on Monday. Nagpal, who led the crackdown on sand mining mafia in the district, was suspended ostensibly for ordering demolition of a wall of a under-construction mosque in Kadalpur village allegedly without following the due process.

She had earlier met UP Chief Secretary Javed Usmani and Secretary to chief minister Anita Singh to explain her position. The charge sheet, running into 10 pages, was prepared based on a report of Commissioner (Meerut Division) and claimed that the IAS officer had not adhered to rules while demolishing the mosque wall.

The state government had justified Nagpal's suspension, saying her action threatened communal harmony. But supporters of the officer claimed she was victimised for cracking down on the sand mining mafia in the state. The charge sheet, among other things, is reported to have pointed out that the officer should have first served a notice before bringing down the wall of the mosque concerned.

The suspension triggered a huge public outcry against the UP government which justified its action and stood defiant against calls to revoke the officer's suspension. The UP government had also said that the officer could explain her position after a charge sheet had been served on her and that any decision on the matter would be taken after she gave her response.