IAS officer Rinku Singh Rahi, who survived being shot seven times after exposing a corruption case in 2009, has resigned from service in March 2026. His decision comes months after he was kept in an “attached” posting without active administrative responsibilities.
From whistleblower to IAS officer: Who is Rinku Singh Rahi?
Rinku Singh Rahi grew up in a modest household in Uttar Pradesh. His father ran a flour mill, and he studied in government schools before pursuing higher education.
He entered public service after clearing the Uttar Pradesh PCS exam in 2008. But within a year, his career took a life-altering turn.
In 2009, while working as a social welfare officer, he exposed an alleged Rs 83 crore scam related to scholarships and welfare schemes. He was only 26 at the time.
Soon after, he was attacked and shot seven times. Two bullets struck his face. He survived the assault but was left with permanent injuries, including the loss of vision in one eye and severe facial damage.
Despite the attack, Rahi continued in public service.
Years later, he cleared the UPSC examination in 2021 and joined the IAS in 2022 under the disability quota. His journey came to be seen as a powerful example of persistence within the administrative system he had once challenged.
The incident that brought him back into focus
In July 2025, Rahi was posted as Sub-Divisional Magistrate in Shahjahanpur. Within days of taking charge, he was drawn into controversy.
During an inspection, he reportedly found a clerk urinating in the open and asked him to do sit-ups as punishment. The move prompted protests from local lawyers, who raised concerns about the lack of sanitation facilities in the area.
What followed quickly drew public attention.
Rahi apologised as the senior officer and did sit-ups himself in front of the protesting lawyers. A video of the moment spread widely online, with many viewing it as an act of accountability.
The incident, however, also divided opinion.
Within roughly 36 hours of assuming charge, he was removed from the post and later attached to the Revenue Board in Lucknow.
He remained in this “attached” position for several months without a clear field assignment or active administrative role.
Why he resigned
In March 2026, Rahi resigned from the IAS. In his resignation, he said he had been sidelined and not assigned meaningful responsibilities despite remaining on the payroll. He described being kept in an “attached” role where he continued to receive a salary but was unable to actively serve the public.
According to him, accepting pay without contributing work raised ethical concerns and conflicted with his principles. He also referred to what he called a “parallel system” within governance that restricts officers from functioning effectively.
Calling his decision a moral one, Rahi chose to step down.
