IAS officer who emptied Delhi stadium to walk dog now compulsorily retired

Do you remember the IAS officers Rinku Dugga and Sanjiv Khirwar, the couple who ordered the evacuation of Delhi's Thyagraj Stadium so that their dog could take a walk? Yes, the ones whose behaviour raised questions about Delhi's VIP culture.

Now, the lady IAS officer, Rinku Dugga, has been compulsorily retired by the government. According to a report by The Indian Express, this decision to retire her has been made after a review of her career record.

A government official confirmed Dugga's retirement on Tuesday. "Yes, orders have been issued for the compulsory retirement of Dugga based on her track record," The Indian Express quoted the official as saying.

The official further mentioned that Dugga's retirement was carried out under Fundamental Rules (FR) 56 (j), Rule 48 of the Central Civil Services (CCS) Pension Rules, 1972. The government has the authority to retire any government servant "if it is of the opinion that it is in the public interest to do so."

Last year, in May, when this controversy erupted, the IAS couple was transferred out of Delhi. An order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) indicated that Khirwar's wife, Rinku Dugga, was transferred to Arunachal Pradesh, while her husband was transferred to Ladakh. Dugga, a 1994-batch AGMUT cadre officer, was posted as Principal Secretary, Indigenous Affairs, in Arunachal Pradesh.

What had happened?

In May 2022, it came to light that the IAS couple had been instructing the stadium's staff to close the park by 7 pm so that they could take their dog for a walk there.

Dugga's husband, Sanjeev Khirwar, would take his dog for a walk every day at 7.30 pm, causing all the athletes practicing there to leave early.

When this news surfaced, the athletes informed the media that they used to train until 8.30 pm. However, due to the IAS couple's orders, they were forced to wrap up their training by 7 pm, which caused disruptions to their routines.

Sanjeev Khirwar had initially denied the allegations, stating that they were "absolutely incorrect." Nevertheless, upon investigation, it was discovered that the guards did, in fact, start signaling the end of activities around 6.30 pm, ensuring that the premises were cleared by 7 pm.

Khirwar would then arrive at 7.30 pm with his dog for a walk.

This news had sparked outrage, and as a result, the duo was transferred out of Delhi as part of the disciplinary action.