DEHRADUN: The IAS community in Uttarakhand has come together in response to a disturbing incident involving senior IAS officer R. Meenakshi Sundaram, which has sparked outrage among state employees.
Bobby Panwar, the president of the Uttarakhand Berozgar Sangh, allegedly entered Sundaram's office, engaged in a physical altercation with staff, and issued death threats, leading to calls for immediate action against him.
The incident triggered a half-day strike on Friday by employees at the Uttarakhand Secretariat, protesting the abuse and threats directed at Energy Secretary R. Meenakshi Sundaram by Panwar and his associates.
To address the growing concerns over workplace safety, the state’s IAS association formally approached Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, urging him to take swift action to ensure the safety and security of state government officers.
A case has been registered against Bobby Panwar and others involved in the incident, although no arrests have been made so far.
According to official sources at the Uttarakhand Secretariat, Kapil Kumar, Senior Personal Secretary of the Department of Energy, lodged a complaint with Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh. The complaint alleges aggressive behaviour by Bobby Panwar during a meeting with Secretary Meenakshi Sundaram.
The complaint states, "On Wednesday evening, when the individual (Bobby Panwar) was called to the Secretary’s room for a meeting, he behaved very badly in front of the Secretary, abusing, intimidating, and threatening to kill him."
The situation escalated further when Kumar added, "During this time, the Secretary instructed us—myself and Anoop Dangwal, the Additional Private Secretary—to escort him out. However, the individual pushed, manhandled, and assaulted us in front of the Secretary, obstructing government work."
In response to these grave allegations, an FIR has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. The charges include Section 115(2) for voluntarily causing hurt, Section 352 for intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace, Section 351(3) for criminal intimidation, Section 121(1) for voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter a public servant from duty, Section 132 for assault or criminal force against a public servant, and Section 221 for obstructing a public servant in the discharge of their duties.
Speaking to TNIE, Panwar denied the allegations and clarified his actions: “I went to meet Meenakshi Sundaram to inquire about a demand for an investigation against the Energy Department MD that I had submitted a month ago. I wanted to know the status of the case, but he said he did not have any information.”
The controversy follows the recent extension of Anil Yadav, Managing Director of Uttarakhand Power Corporation Ltd, who was granted a two-year extension in October.