The Indian Administrative Services are India’s most prestigious services responsible for the recruitment of civil servants who often form many welfare policies of the government. However, sometimes, the same bureaucrats get mired in corruption allegations which significantly affects their credibility. One such officer is retired IAS Ramesh Abhishek. He was a pivotal figure behind several government schemes when in service and has recently found himself at the center of a major corruption investigation. The high-profile raids conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) earlier this year have put his career and reputation under intense scrutiny.

Who Is Ramesh Abhishek?

Ramesh Abhishek holds a degree in Business Administration with a focus on Finance, a Master’s in International Relations, and a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School. He joined the Indian Administrative Service (Bihar Cadre) in 1982. Ramesh Abhishek’s career spanned 37 years, marked by significant roles including Divisional Commissioner and District Magistrate in Bihar, and overseeing major initiatives such as ‘Make in India’ and ‘Startup India’ as DPIIT Secretary. Despite his extensive service and contributions, the current allegations of conflict of interest and financial misconduct cast a shadow over his career.

DA, Corruption Allegations

In May 2023, the ED conducted a series of raids on Abhishek’s properties as part of a money laundering probe linked to accusations of acquiring disproportionate wealth. This followed an earlier raid by the CBI in February, initiated by an FIR from the anti-corruption ombudsman, Lokpal. The FIR alleged that Abhishek, a 1982-batch IAS officer, and his daughter, Vanessa, amassed substantial wealth through consultancy fees from companies with which Abhishek had official dealings during his tenure.

Central to the allegations is Abhishek’s substantial post-retirement income. According to the Lokpal and investigating agencies, Abhishek allegedly earned Rs 2.7 crore in consultancy fees over just 15 months—an amount significantly exceeding his last government salary of Rs 2.26 lakhs per month by a staggering margin. These earnings allegedly came from various private entities, many of which had interactions with him during his roles as DPIIT Secretary and Chairman of the Forward Markets Commission (FMC).

According to reports, the investigation also focuses on the purchase of a luxury property in Delhi’s Greater Kailash-2 area. The funds used for this acquisition are suspected to be connected to Abhishek’s alleged illicit earnings. As an independent director at Paytm, Abhishek faces scrutiny over his alleged involvement in facilitating the company’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) while serving as DPIIT Secretary. His association with 16 entities he reportedly had official dealings with forms a crucial part of the charges against him.

After the Lokpal’s directive against Abhishek’s plea, which led to the ED’s examination of the Greater Kailash property and scrutiny of potential conflicts of interest, there has been a conspicuous lack of updates on the investigation’s progress.