Right to Information activist Rtd. Wing Commander G.B. Athri has filed a complaint against IAS officer Amita Prasad, who was elevated and sent on central government deputation despite having a high-level inquiry on corruption pending against her. In his complaint, which was the third complaint to the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Mr. Athri said former Director-General of the Administrative Training Institute (ATI) Rashmi V. Mahesh had filed a report enlisting the corrupt practices of her predecessor, Amita Prasad, to the then Chief Secretary Koushik Mukherji in August 2014. Based on the report, Mr. Mukherji had ordered the Additional Secretary of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department to conducted an inquiry and submit a report. While the inquiry is pending, Ms. Prasad has been posted as Joint Secretary for Water Resources and Ganga Cleaning. “It is an irony that instead of facing inquiry into the alleged corrupt practice, illegal activities and misappropriation, Ms. Prasad had been elevated and deputed to a central government assignment, which is nothing but fraud”, Mr. Athri said in his complaint. He further said that it is highly irregular that a high-level inquiry is yet to be completed even after 18 months. “It appears that it is an effort to dilute and bury the case to save the IAS officer by vested interests, and public confidence in governance will be lost,” Mr. Athri said. The issue had garnered a lot of public attention and Ms. Rashmi Mahesh was also attacked in Mysuru. Hence it would only be proper if the newly formed ACB initiated an inquiry into all the corruption charges against Ms. Amita Prasad and suspend her till the completion of inquiry, he said, adding that he had taken up this issue with the Union Water Resources Ministry too. A senior police officer said that they are verifying the complaint to take further action.

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