New Delhi, Nov. 5: Gopi Arora, one of the most influential, and controversial, bureaucrats during the Rajiv Gandhi premiership, passed away at his residence here this early morning.

Arora had been ailing for a while.

An IAS officer, Arora had come to be known as the engine of Rajiv Gandhi’s PMO and detractors often said he wielded powers beyond the scope of a civil servant. Before being handpicked for the PMO job, Arora was secretary in the key information and broadcasting ministry.

He was intrinsic to Rajiv Gandhi’s handling of the prickly Punjab crisis and instrumental in efforts that led to signing of the Rajiv-Longowal accord and the subsequent accession to power by the Akali Dal. Arora was also among those named in the initial CBI chargesheets in the Bofors kickback case, which was recently buried by the investigating agency.