IAS suspended for raping in his chamber

Raipur : The Chhattisgarh government on Thursday suspended an IAS officer after an FIR was filed against him for allegedly raping a woman in his chamber when he was the District Collector of Janjgir-Champa district.

The woman, who is in her early 30s, accused Janak Prasad Pathak, a 2007 batch IAS officer, of raping her in his office on May 15. She went to meet the District Collector for some work when he allegedly raped her in his rest cabin.

The woman dared to file an FIR only after the District Collector was recently transferred as Commissioner Land Records. The victim has submitted several photographic evidences to the police, including obscene texts and images allegedly sent by Pathak on her mobile phone.

The Janjgir-Champa police have registered a case under IPC Sections 376 for rape, 506 for criminal intimidation and 509 for an act of insulting the modesty of a woman.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has taken a serious view of the matter and asked Chief Secretary R.P. Mandal to suspend the IAS officer and initiate a high-level probe into the case.