Govt protects ‘tainted’ official despite anomalies

 Shillong, July 30: The NEET paper leak is in the news. This has also brought to  focus a state officer’s alleged cheating in the Civil Service examinations.

Principal Secretary in-charge of mining and geology and forest departments MBK Reddy was convicted by the CBI Court, Indore for breaching the integrity of Civil Services Examination,1996.

The state government chose to remain silent on the matter, and ignored repeated directions from the Centre, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the  High Court of Meghalaya to take action against the official.

While on bail, after spending several days in Indore and several other jails in the country, the officer is holding several key posts.

However, Reddy termed these are mere allegations.

He also added that the rival officers are targeting him.

However, he acknowledged that the jurisdiction case as to which authority can take action against him is pending in Supreme Court.

Brief facts of the case below

1.  Balakrishna Reddy is a 1993 batch IFS Officer. Currently he is posted in Meghalaya segment of the Joint Assam-Meghalaya Cadre. In 2011 he was convicted by the CBI Court, Indore for an imprisonment for 2 years plus fine for indulging in corrupt practices in Civil Services Examination 1996. Shri Reddy breached the integrity of the Civil Services Examination – 1996. He leaked/obtained the paper in advance and took pre-written answer sheets to the Examination Hall, where he was caught red handed by the invigilator. He confessed to his crime. During the course of investigation, CBI arrested Reddy. He spent 15 days in the jail as an under-trial prisoner in 1997 before he was released on bail.
2. Appeal filed by Reddy against the order of his conviction was rejected by the Sessions Court, Indore.
3. After spending 16 days in the Indore Central jail, Reddy is currently on bail granted by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. His sentence has merely been suspended pending hearing and disposal of the Review Petition filed by him. His conviction still stands.
4. In 2017 MoEFCC instituted Disciplinary Proceedings (DP) against  Reddy to dismiss him from service on account of his conviction on criminal charges. The same was set aside by Guwahati Bench of the CAT on the ground that the Government of Meghalaya is authority competent to institute disciplinary proceedings . The appeal filed by the MoEFCC in the matter was disposed of by the Meghalaya High Court by a Judgment dated 05.07.2022 with a direction to the Government of Meghalaya to institute action against  Reddy within a month.
5. Aggrieved by the decision of the Meghalaya High Court, Vigilance Wing in the MoEFCC filed a SLP (Civil) No. 19363 of 2023 in the matter of Union of India Versus M Balakrishna Reddy and others. Main contention in the SLP is that the Union of India is the competent authority to institute disciplinary action  as the offence for which Reddy has been convicted was committed by him while he was undergoing probationary training at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), Dehradun. All respondents in the matter have already filed reply before the Hon’ble Supreme Court. The SLP is listed for final hearing on 12.08.2026.
6. In compliance of directions issued by the Meghalaya High Court by the Judgment dated 05.07.2022, State Government instituted disciplinary action against Reddy to impose a major penalty of reduction by one stage in the existing grade and withholding of increments for three years without cumulative effect. On receipt of the case records, the UPSC has advised that defects in the DP initiated against Reddy in compliance of a Judgment of the Meghalaya High Court should be removed by issuing a fresh office memorandum to propose a penalty of dismissal from the service, as is applicable for the cases involving conviction of government servant. Advice of the UPSC is binding on the State Government. In case the State Government does not agree with advice of the UPSC, the same needs to be communicated to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, the Cadre Controlling Authority for the Indian Forest Service. Decision of the Government of India on the matter will be final. In case the Government of India also disagrees with the advice of the UPSC, the same along with the reasons thereof needs to be provided to the UPSC for incorporation of the same in its Annual Report to be presented to the President of India for placing the same before both houses of the Parliament. Nothing has been done so far since receipt of advice from the UPSC on 01.05.2025. Timelines stipulated by the Government of India to complete the DP instituted against Reddy have already expired long ago.
7. In compliance with recommendation of the Estimate Committee of the Lok Sabha, the MoEFCC, GoI, (Cadre Controlling Authority for the Indian Forest Service) is repeatedly insisting that all the 4 promotions obtained by him while prosecution for criminal charges was pending against him and 2 promotions obtained by Reddy after his conviction by the CBI court should be withdrawn by holding a review DPC and he should be brought back to the position of Assistant Conservator of Forests which he would have held8 but for these erroneous promotions. Last such communication was made on 22.02.2026..
8. Earlier, while undergoing probationary training for the Indian Forest Service at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) located at Dehradun, Reddy absconded from the training. On account of his long unauthorised absence,  Reddy was found unfit and discharged from the service in 1996. In 1999 Reddy was reinstated into the service with all consequential benefits by the Andhra Pradesh High Court by a brief order, without going into merit of his discharge. The Central Government reinstated him into the service without contesting the order that does not go into merit of his discharge from the service.
9.  Reddy is the only officer in the country who is not only in the service but has also obtained regular promotions and annual increments without completing the mandatory probationary training and without passing the mandatory departmental examination so far.
10. Before absconding from the Probationary Training at the IGNFA, anti-dowry cell in the Andhra Pradesh Police came from Hyderabad and arrested him in a dowry harassment case filed by his then wife.
11. The period spent by Reddy in the Indore Jail as a convict has been regularised as a leave by the Government of Meghalaya and he has drawn leave salary for the  period spent by him in the Indore Central Jail. Similarly, Reddy has also drawn salary for the period spent in the jail as an under-trial prisoner in both the UPSC cheating as well as dowry harassment cases on the basis of the order of the Andhra Pradesh High Court which re-instated Reddy with all consequential benefits.
12. As per the guidelines issued by the Govt. of India, a convicted officer like  Reddy cannot hold any sensitive post involving dealing of public funds, settlement of tenders and exercise of discretionary powers.
13. Instead of complying with the directions of the Government of India to withdraw all the six promotions by holding the review DPC and to remove defects in Disciplinary Proceedings instituted against him by proposing imposition of a penalty of dismissal from the service, and refer the matter to the Government of India for making an order to dismiss him from the service which will make him ineligible for any future engagement under the Government and also to avail pension and gratuity, on receipt of advice from the UPSC as to the nature of penalty to be imposed on Reddy, the Meghalaya government has placed almost entire natural wealth of the state under the control of  Reddy by appointing him to the posts of Principal Secretary of Mining and Geology Department (08.08.2025) and Forest and Environment Department (17.11.2025).
14. As a Principal Secretary to the Forest and Environment Department  M. Balakrishna Reddy is expected to comply with the directions of the MoEFCC to hold review DPC to withdraw all the six (6) promotions obtained by him so far in violation of the DPC guidelines. He is also responsible to comply with the advice of UPSC to rectify shortcoming in the disciplinary proceedings instituted against him in compliance of directions issued by the Meghalaya High Court by the judgment dated 06.07.2022 by issuing a revised Office Memorandum to propose a penalty of his dismissal from the service.