LUCKNOW Rinku Singh Rahi, a 2022-batch IAS officer, resigned on Tuesday alleging that he had not been given any posting or meaningful responsibilities for a prolonged period. He claimed he was kept in an “attached” position, receiving a salary but denied the opportunity to serve the public.
Terming his resignation a moral decision, Rahi said in the system, there is perhaps a special kind of punishment reserved for honest types of people – they get paid, but no work is assigned to them. In such a situation, it is inevitable to raise the question – how can receiving a salary without performing any work be justified under the values of integrity? This, too, is a form of corruption, he added.
In July last year, Rahi was attached to the UP Revenue Board after a video purportedly showing him performing sit-ups while holding ears amid a protest by lawyers in Shahjahanpur went viral on social media.
Taking serious note of the sit-ups, the state government sought a detailed report from the DM on the incident. Following the submission of report, Rahi was relieved of his duties as SDM and attached to the Revenue Board in Lucknow.
Rahi was appointed as the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Puwayan in Shahjahanpur on July 28, 2025. He was removed from his post just 36 hours after assuming charge.
The video of Rahi performing sit-ups went viral, sparking widespread public and administrative debate. After taking charge, he spotted a clerk (munshi) of advocate Agyaram Sharma urinating against a wall during the inspection of the tehsil premises. In response, the SDM made the clerk perform sit-ups on the spot, a move that drew attention and protest by lawyers.
A group of protesting lawyers told Rahi about the appalling condition of toilets on the premises, stating that both advocates and clerks were often forced to urinate in the open due to the lack of proper sanitation facilities. Acknowledging their concerns, Rahi reportedly stated that as the senior-most officer of the tehsil, he accepted moral responsibility for the poor hygiene.
In a dramatic gesture of accountability, Rahi held his ears and performed five sit-ups in front of the lawyers. While some hailed the act as a bold message of leadership and humility, the gesture quickly went viral on social media and drew mixed reactions.
Before joining the IAS, Rinku Singh Rahi served as a PCS officer after cracking the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission examination in 2004. During his posting as district social welfare officer in 2008, he exposed corruption in scholarship and pension schemes. In March 2009, he survived an attack. He was hit by seven bullets, including two in the face, leaving him disfigured. He lost vision in one eye and his jaw was dislocated. He was hospitalised for a month.
A resident of Hathras district, he qualified the UPSC examination under the disability quota in 2021 and was posted as an IAS officer in Uttar Pradesh in 2022.
