Surya Pratap Singh

Summary

Surya Pratap Singh, a 1982-batch UP IAS officer, says he was transferred 54 times; no independent count was found. After returning from US deputation in 2013 he was moved seven times in about two years under the SP government, and was put on the waiting list in July 2015 days after seeking voluntary retirement while publicly campaigning against alleged corruption, including at the UPPSC. The government ordered a conduct-rules inquiry, whose outcome is not public. In retirement he was booked repeatedly under the BJP government over tweets, and the High Court stayed his arrest in one case in 2021.

Self-reported: 'According to Singh, in his career spanning 25 years, he was transferred 54 times' (ThePrint). No independent count found. His ERS shows only 22 rows, and he spent about nine years on deputation in the US, so treat 54 with caution.

1. Jul 2013One report

   US deputation (about 9 years)Various UP departments

   After returning from about nine years of deputation in the US, he was moved between departments seven times in the following months (Catch). The departments are not named.

   The other side said

   No reasons reported.

   Catch News, Oct 2015

2. Apr 2015Documented

   Principal Secretary, Public Enterprises

   While still serving, he joined a dharna of teachers who were refusing to evaluate UP Board answer sheets at a Lucknow college. He backed their demands but urged them to resume evaluation. IE noted he had been transferred six times in the previous 18 months.

   Up against

   Akhilesh Yadav government, State government, Samajwadi Party Government: Samajwadi Party (Akhilesh Yadav, CM).

   The officer said

   'I have not crossed my boundaries. I have just stretched them a little for the public cause… no service rule denies an officer from raising an issue of public concern.'

   The other side said

   No government response found in the extract.

   The Indian Express, Apr 2015 · Navbharat Times, Apr 2015

3. Jul 2015Documented

   Principal Secretary, Public EnterprisesWaiting (no posting)

   He had been holding chaupals and posting on social media about alleged corruption, joined a candle march against UPPSC chairman Anil Yadav, and posted 'Suno sirji, maar dalo par darao mat' ('Sir, kill me but don't threaten me'), saying he was being threatened. On 25 July he applied for voluntary retirement. Within a week he was put on the waiting list, and his post went to Pradeep Shukla, who had recently been reinstated and was on bail in the NRHM case.

   Up against

   Anil Yadav; Akhilesh Yadav government, UPPSC chairman; state government, Samajwadi Party (state government) Government: Samajwadi Party (Akhilesh Yadav, CM).

   Reported reason

   NBT described him as the officer 'who rebelled against the UP government'. He said 'sirji' was fictitious and not aimed at the CM (Catch).

   The officer said

   Said he was receiving threats for 'raising public issues and pointing out the anomalies and corruption in the system' (IE, his claim).

   The other side said

   Officials said he had been served show-cause notices, and the government set up a one-man inquiry under Board of Revenue chairman Anil Kumar Gupta into whether his conduct violated the All India Services (Conduct) Rules. Singh said he had received no papers. The government did not explain the waiting-list order.

   Outcome

   Inquiry ordered (not time-bound, per Gupta).

   What became of the matter

   Unknown. The outcome of the A. K. Gupta conduct inquiry was not found; Singh retired in December 2015. The Times of India, Aug 2015

   Navbharat Times, Aug 2015 · The Indian Express, Jul 2015 · The Times of India, Aug 2015 · Catch News, Oct 2015

4. Oct 2015One report

   Waiting / retiring

   Launched a campaign, 'Uttar Pradesh bachao, Uttar Pradesh banao'. He alleged that the Lucknow–Agra Expressway route had been changed to benefit 'some high-profile families' (Catch read this as a hint at Etawah and Kannauj, the constituencies of Mulayam Singh Yadav's family), and questioned UPPSC selections and an 'education mafia'.

   Up against

   SP leadership (unnamed by Singh), Samajwadi Party Government: Samajwadi Party (Akhilesh Yadav, CM).

   The officer said

   'Every year, the education mafia makes deals worth Rs 1,000 crore.'

   The other side said

   No government response quoted.

   Catch News, Oct 2015

5. 6 years with no move on record here.

6. May 2021Documented

   Retired

   Under the Yogi Adityanath government, the retired officer was booked in Unnao (FIR 0386/2021) over a tweet with photographs about COVID-19 management; the state alleged the photographs were from 2014 and used 'to spread hatred'. ThePrint counted six FIRs against him in 12 months. A second FIR was registered in Varanasi.

   Up against

   Yogi Adityanath government, State government / UP Police, Bharatiya Janata Party Government: BJP (Yogi Adityanath, CM).

   The officer said

   Not in the fetched extracts.

   The other side said

   The state alleged the photos 'were of 13.01.2014 and are deliberately used to spread hatred and resulted in spreading tension among different sections in the locality' (FIR, as quoted in the HC order).

   Outcome

   On 31 May 2021 the Allahabad High Court (Lucknow) stayed his arrest until the next listing or the filing of a police report, after recording his assurance that he would be careful with such tweets.

   What became of the matter

   Pending. The final disposal of Misc. Bench No. 10941/2021 and of the investigation was not found. Allahabad High Court, May 2021

   • Judgment Surya Pratap Singh v. State of U.P. & Ors, Misc. Bench No. 10941 of 2021, Allahabad HC Lucknow (Ramesh Sinha and Jaspreet Singh JJ), May 2021

     the assurance given by learned counsel for the petitioner that he would be careful in future, prima facie, a case for interim relief is made out.

   Bar & Bench, Jun 2021 · ThePrint (archived), Jun 2021 · NDTV, 2020