Rajiv Rautela, the former District Magistrate of Gorakhpur, who courted controversy for barring the media from accessing details at the Lok Sabha bypoll counting centre has been transferred to Uttarakhand in a bureaucratic rejig.
Earlier on 17 March, Rautela was shifted and promoted as Divisional Commissioner of Devipatan district in the administrative reshuffle when the Uttar Pradesh government transferred 37 IAS officers.
Rautela is known to be a close associate of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and was handpicked by the BJP leader to head the administration in his home district, The Print reported.
After Rautela’s alleged involvement in blocking the media during Gorakhpur Bypoll counting, the opposition lodged a complaint against him with the Election Commission.
Rautela has been at the heart of controversies several times.
In August 2017, the UP government directed criminal action against the former principal of BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur and the private agency supplying it liquid oxygen, Pushpa Sales, in connection with the death of over 70 children that month.
A report that Rautela submitted claimed supplier Pushpa Sales had cut off the oxygen supply, the firm said it could produce evidence that they had not.
The Allahabad High Court on 15 December, 2017 ordered suspension of two district magistrates – Rakesh Kumar Singh and Rautela – in a case relating to illegal mining on the Kosi river. The government has not taken any action against the two officials, The Caravan reported.
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