Five months after Dahod district police arrested S J Pandya, a Class-1 officer of the Gujarat Administrative Services (GAS) and the deputy director of the Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration (SPIPA), the Gujarat government has enforced his premature retirement.
Pandya’s arrest was linked to his involvement in a significant fraudulent scheme, where he allegedly masterminded the establishment of six bogus government offices. The scam centered around the misappropriation of Rs 18.6 crore, which was intended for the tribal sub-plan in the Dahod district.
The government’s decision to enforce premature retirement follows the charges of embezzlement and the siphoning of funds allocated for tribal welfare. Authorities are continuing their investigations into the full extent of the fraudulent operations tied to the accused officer.
The Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration and the state government have distanced themselves from Pandya’s actions, and efforts are being made to recover the misappropriated funds.
