Bareilly City Magistrate Alankar Agnihotri has been suspended by the Uttar Pradesh government on charges of indiscipline following his resignation from service in protest against government policies, particularly the new University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations. The move has sparked a major administrative and political controversy.
According to an order issued Monday night by Special Secretary Annapurna Garg, Agnihotri, a 2019-batch Provincial Civil Service officer, has been attached to the office of the Shamli district magistrate while departmental disciplinary proceedings are initiated.
Bareilly Divisional Commissioner B S Chaudhary has been appointed as the ex-officio inquiry officer to probe the charges. The order also stated that a separate charge sheet will be issued as part of the departmental action.
Agnihotri had tendered his resignation on Republic Day, citing deep disagreement with government policies and claiming the new UGC regulations could foment caste-based discontent and harm the academic environment.
In his resignation letter, he described the rules as a “black law” and demanded their immediate withdrawal.
The UGC regulations, published on January 13, 2026, aim to curb caste-based discrimination in higher education institutions and mandate the formation of special committees, helplines, and monitoring teams to address complaints, particularly from SC, ST, and OBC students.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Agnihotri declined to comment on his suspension, saying, “As you are aware, I have already submitted my resignation. Whether you suspend me or take any other action after that, I have no comment.”
He alleged a conspiracy against him, claiming he overheard a derogatory remark while at the district magistrate’s office Monday night.
“I overheard a phone conversation on speaker mode in which a person allegedly told [DM Avinash Singh], ‘The pandit has gone mad, keep him there the whole night.’” Agnihotri added that calls from social organisations across districts soon followed, raising objections to the remark.
Referring to his suspension and the order attaching him to Shamli, he said, “There is no question of me going to Shamli as I have already resigned. You cannot force someone to work. I am no longer part of the system, I have resigned. Now whether they accept it or not is a matter of prestige for them. For this, there is the High Court and the Supreme Court.”
Agnihotri also raised concerns over what he described as an “anti-Brahmin bias” in the system. He questioned the local administration’s role in prohibiting Swami Avimukteshwaranand, the Shankaracharya of Jyotishpeeth in Uttarakhand, from taking a holy dip at Triveni Sangam during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj.
“I respect him. It would not be appropriate for me to say anything more on this separate issue at present. I have received his blessings during the conversation,” he said.
He further appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe.
“When the state machinery is failing, the Prime Minister should himself constitute an SIT. If a district magistrate is being spoken to in such a manner, the first thing that must be done is to reveal the identity of the person who said ‘the pandit has gone mad’. It clearly reflects the prejudice that person holds against Brahmins,” Agnihotri said.