Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena has granted sanction for the prosecution of IAS officer Udit Prakash Rai for allegedly forging the signatures of the Chief Secretaries of Delhi and Andaman and Nicobar Administration, on his Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (APAR) during different periods of his posting.

Saxena has also recommended the case to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for further action, as per a communique’ issued by the LG office on Thursday.

Rai, a 2007 IAS officer had allegedly forged the signatures of his reviewing authority, i.e. the Chief Secretary of Andaman and Nicobar and Delhi between 2017 and 2021. A criminal case of forgery under sections 465/471 of IPC registered was against Rai at IP Estate Police Station on the complaint of Special Secretary (Vigilance) of the Delhi government.

“According to DoV, Rai, in his APARs for the periods from 1st April, 2017 to 8th October, 2017 and from 9th October, 2017 to 31st March, 2018 had also forged the signatures of his then reporting authority, SCL Das, the then Principal Secretary (Revenue) in Andaman and Nicobar Administration and the signature of the reviewing authority, Anindo Majumdar, the then Chief Secretary of Andaman and Nicobar,” the LG office said.

Further in the APAR for period from 1st April, 2019 to 30th July, 2019, it was alleged that Rai forged the signatures of the reporting authority, Vikram Dev Dutt, the then Principal Secretary (Revenue) in Andaman and Nicobar Administration and the signature of the reviewing authority, Chetan Bhushan Sanghi, the then Chief Secretary of Andaman and Nicobar.

During these periods, Rai was posted as DM in Andaman and Nicobar administration.

The LG office said, “Further upon his transfer to Delhi, Rai was posted as Director (Education) in the GNCTD. In the successive APARs for the period from 31st August, 2020 to 31st March, 2021, Rai forged the signatures of his reporting authority, H Rajesh Prasad, the then Principal Secretary (Education), GNCTD and the signature of the reviewing authority, Vijay Kumar Dev, the then Chief Secretary of Delhi.”

“During the course of investigation, it came to light that Udit Rai, deliberately filled his APARs manually and not online, through the SPARROW Portal, citing technical glitches. However, during inquiry, two officers, namely Anindo Majumdar and Vijay Kumar Dev, denied having reviewed the APARs of Rai and confirmed that the signatures on his APARs were forged,” it said.

The LG office further said, “Even the FSL report confirmed that the specimen signatures and handwritings of Anindo Majumdar and Vijay Kumar Dev did not match with those on Rai’s APARs. Accordingly, the matter was earlier placed before the LG and viewing the seriousness he had recommended for initiating disciplinary and criminal action against Rai, now posted in Mizoram and under suspension.”

It may be noted that Rai is under suspension in another corruption matter wherein he was charged with taking “graft” money from an engineer in the Delhi Agriculture Marketing Board, while serving as its Vice-Chairman, it said.

He has also been accused of demolishing a heritage structure for construction of his official residence in Delhi’s Jal Vihar, while he was serving as the CEO of DJB, at a whopping cost of Rs five crore.