Arun Bhatia

Summary

Arun Bhatia, a 1967-batch Maharashtra IAS officer, was transferred 24 times in 32 years by his own count in 1999 (later 26). His best-documented clash is March 1999: a week into the Pune Municipal Commissioner's job he began demolishing illegal hotels and buildings, and CM Narayan Rane moved him to the State Archives, citing an inquiry into his alleged press leaks. The Bombay High Court quashed the transfer, calling it 'so outrageous that it defies all logic' and 'in the nature of punishment'; he was moved out again within months after corporators sought his recall. Many earlier episodes rest on his own account.

26 transfers in 26 years of service in India, per his own website and TOI (2004). His site also says 24 'in about as many years' if his seven UN years are excluded.

1. Documented

   Collector, Dhule

   TOI (2004) says that as Collector of Dhule he exposed alleged corruption in the Employment Guarantee Scheme. His own website says that lodging criminal complaints over EGS corruption brought a transfer and a bad ACR, and that in another EGS case he was transferred even though a legislature committee had said he should stay until chargesheets reached court. Dates are not given.

   Reported reason

   Bhatia's own account (website).

   The officer said

   See what_happened (his website).

   The other side said

   None found.

   What became of the matter

   Unknown. What happened to the EGS police cases after his transfer is not public.

   The Times of India, 2004 · arunbhatia-ias.com (his own site)

2. One report

   His website says he cancelled an MLA's salt-mining land lease after the MLA's bunds flooded villagers' fields and roads, and was transferred. The MLA, district and date are not given.

   Up against

   MLA (unnamed)

   Reported reason

   Bhatia's own account.

   The officer said

   See what_happened.

   The other side said

   None found.

   arunbhatia-ias.com (his own site)

3. Documented

   Collector, Mumbai

   TOI (2004) says that as Collector of Mumbai he exposed an FSI scam in government residential quarters. His website says that lodging FIRs against the Mumbai land mafia brought a transfer and a departmental enquiry for 'leaking' information to the press and 'maligning' senior IAS officers, and that after this and the Glaxo action his promotion was blocked until the High Court ordered the government to promote him.

   Reported reason

   Per Bhatia (his website).

   The officer said

   Per Bhatia.

   The other side said

   None found.

   What became of the matter

   Unknown. Promotion ordered by the High Court per Bhatia; order and case number not located. The outcome of the land-mafia FIRs is not public.

   arunbhatia-ias.com (his own site) · The Times of India, 2004

4. Oct 1993Documented

   Commissioner, Food & Drug Administration, Maharashtra

   In 1993 he shut Glaxo's Worli factory for 10 days over alleged violations in scrap disposal and reuse of discarded packaging and rejected drugs, and served a 15-day closure notice on German Remedies over alleged expiry-date practices. He ordered an inspection of Glaxo's Nashik factory but was transferred in October 1993, within seven months, before it was completed.

   Up against

   Pharmaceutical companies (Glaxo, German Remedies); no official named, Glaxo India; German Remedies Government: Congress (Sharad Pawar, CM from March 1993; not stated in source).

   Reported reason

   Mumbai Mirror notes only the timing; Bhatia's own site says he was transferred as soon as he ordered the Nashik inspection.

   The officer said

   'I sent a second team to examine if the first team had done the job properly. It's crucial to dispose of all packaging material like the cartons, labels, etc. to avoid misuse.'

   The other side said

   No government reason found; no company response found.

   What became of the matter

   Unknown. Whether the Nashik inspection was ever completed, and the outcome of the alleged violations, is not public. Mumbai Mirror, 2026

   Mumbai Mirror, 2026 · arunbhatia-ias.com (his own site)

5. 6 years with no move on record here.

6. Mar 1999Documented

   Divisional Commissioner, PuneMunicipal Commissioner, Pune

   As Divisional Commissioner he started corruption proceedings against 107 talathis (village land-record officers) and had 'strong differences' with Chief Secretary P. Subrahmanyam over it; petitioners later alleged that this led to his move to the Pune Municipal Corporation.

   Up against

   P. Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, Government of Maharashtra Government: Shiv Sena–BJP (Narayan Rane, CM).

   Reported reason

   Petitioners alleged in the High Court that he was moved 'because of his sustained action against corruption amongst Village Talathis regarding manipulation of land records'.

   The other side said

   None found.

   Rediff, Mar 1999 · Bombay High Court, via Indian Kanoon, Apr 1999

7. Mar 1999Documented

   Municipal Commissioner, PuneCommissioner, State Archives, Mumbai

   A week after taking charge he ordered illegal structures demolished 'without fear or favour', and about 14 hotels and a petrol pump were razed from 10 March; Rediff reports he angered builders and the hotels lobby. Days later CM Narayan Rane transferred him to the State Archives, citing an inquiry into his alleged leaking to the press of his correspondence with the Chief Secretary. Citizens' groups and corporators filed PILs, and on 13 April 1999 the Bombay High Court quashed the transfer as punitive and ordered him reinstated.

   Up against

   Narayan Rane, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena Government: Shiv Sena–BJP (Narayan Rane, CM).

   Reported reason

   Petitioners alleged the transfer followed demolition of structures 'belonging to powerful lobbies'. Writer Pu La Deshpande condemned the Sena–BJP government for 'abruptly transferring an honest and efficient officer'.

   The officer said

   'I will not join the new posting. I am proceeding on a month's leave.' After the verdict: 'I intend to continue the demolition drive.'

   The other side said

   Rane's file note: 'making available such correspondence to the media is not correct as it is against the norms of administrative discipline and rules… To avoid adverse effect on the working of the Pune Municipal Corporation during the said enquiry Shri Bhatia should be transferred elsewhere immediately.' At a briefing he said Bhatia 'demolished such structures which were protected by Court orders or Urban Development Department'. After the ruling: 'It would be difficult to run the government due to such interference.'

   Outcome

   Transfer quashed; Bhatia reinstated (resumed charge about 15 April 1999). The leak inquiry was allowed to continue.

   • Judgment Sunanda Das & Ors v. State of Maharashtra & Ors, Bombay High Court (Y. K. Sabharwal CJ and S. Radhakrishnan J), 1999(4) Bom CR 82; 2000(2) Mh LJ 481, Apr 1999

     The decision to transfer Bhatia, in the facts of present case, is so outrageous that it defies all logic and any moral standard. No reasonable person could have arrived at such a decision.

   • Judgment Same judgment, on the state's affidavit, Apr 1999

     The stand in the affidavit that the transfer had no nexus with any act or omission by Bhatia in rendering his service as Pune Municipal Commissioner is contrary to material on record and contemporaneous events.

   • Judgment Same judgment, on honesty, Apr 1999

     honesty and action as per law deserve a pat, rather than punishment. The transfer of Bhatia, in our view, is in the nature of punishment.

   • Order CM Narayan Rane's file note of 10/11 March 1999, as reproduced in the judgment, Mar 1999

     To avoid adverse effect on the working of the Pune Municipal Corporation during the said enquiry Shri Bhatia should be transferred elsewhere immediately.

   Rediff, Mar 1999 · Rediff (UNI), Apr 1999 · Bombay High Court, via Indian Kanoon, Apr 1999 · The Telegraph, 1999

8. Jun 1999Documented

   Municipal Commissioner, PuneCommissioner, State Archives

   After reinstatement he resumed demolitions, some of structures that Rediff says belonged to local politicians, and filed an FIR alleging that Chief Secretary Arun Bongirwar, as Pune municipal commissioner in 1985, had irregularly awarded road contracts. On 9 June 1999 the PMC general body passed a resolution seeking his recall, and the state 'promptly transferred' him to the archives again. He had also suspended PMC officials and, by his own account, cancelled an 'illegal lease of government land to MP Kalmadi' (TOI describes it as challenging a parking lot owned by Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi's family).

   Up against

   Pune Municipal Corporation general body; Arun Bongirwar; Suresh Kalmadi (per Bhatia), Elected corporators; Chief Secretary of Maharashtra; Congress MP from Pune, Pune corporators (parties not stated); Congress (Kalmadi) Government: Shiv Sena–BJP (Narayan Rane, CM), until October 1999.

   Reported reason

   Rediff links the second transfer to the corporators' recall resolution. The Kalmadi lease link is Bhatia's own account.

   The officer said

   'If you want good governance, you must fight the malaise of corruption to its logical conclusion.'

   The other side said

   No official reason found. The Advocate General argued his petitions against Bongirwar were not maintainable; the High Court (Justices N. J. Pandya and S. S. Parkar) agreed and Bhatia withdrew them.

   What became of the matter

   Withdrawn. His writ petitions seeking action against Bongirwar were withdrawn in August 1999 after the bench indicated they were not maintainable; outcome of his police complaint not found. Rediff, Aug 1999

   Rediff, Aug 1999 · arunbhatia-ias.com (his own site) · The Times of India, 2004

9. 3 years with no move on record here.

10. 2002One report

    Commissioner, Tribal Research & Training Institute

    Reported malnutrition deaths of children in tribal areas, contradicting the state's position, and received a show-cause notice. He later retired and contested the 2004 Pune Lok Sabha election as an independent.

    The other side said

    None found.

    The Times of India, 2004