Rajasthan IPS Officer Demoted Over 'Family Issues, Second Marriage'

A Rajasthan cadre IPS officer, Pankaj Kumar Chaudhary, has been demoted from his position for three years after an investigation into a family issue that reached legal grounds. He has been moved from the Level 11 senior pay scale to the Level 10 junior pay scale - which is typically assigned to fresh IPS officers.

This is reportedly the first time in Rajasthan that an IPS officer has been demoted.

Reports are claiming that the move by the higher authorities was made after they learned about Mr Chaudhary's second marriage. He reportedly got married to another woman a few years ago without divorcing his first wife. Around four years ago, his family matter had reached the Rajasthan High Court and then the Supreme Court - which reportedly made a judgment in the IPS officer's favour.

"In this case - the order of Central Administrative Tribunal New Delhi in 2020, High Court New Delhi in 2021, Supreme Court in 2021 - the decision has been passed in my favor four years ago," Mr Chaudhary said.

However, authorities have not given any official statement yet.

Mr Chaudhary is a 2009 batch IPS officer. He was currently working as the Superintendent of Police, Community Policing in Jaipur. However, after the demotion, his designation has been changed to Superintendent of Police (Level 10).