Ranu Sahu is an IAS Officer of the 2010 batch of the Chhattisgarh cadre who has served as a collector in many districts of Chhattisgarh. Her name became viral in July 2023 when she was arrested by ED in connection to money laundering in a coal scam.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Ranu Sahu was born on Tuesday, 4 September 1984 (age 38 years; as of 2022) in Panduka village in Chhura tehsil of Raipur district of Chhattisgarh, India. Her zodiac sign is Virgo. She completed her schooling at the local government school in Panduka. She was good in her studies and passed the 10th standard exams with 90% marks. She later pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Science (B. Sc.) in Biology at Govt. Dudhdhari Bajrang Girls’ Post-Graduate Autonomous College (GDBGPG), Raipur affiliated with Pt. Ravi Shankar Shukla University, Raipur and passed her graduation with first division. After completing her graduation, she started preparing for the Police exams as she was fascinated with the Police since her childhood. [1]YouTube – Harsh News
A childhood photo of Ranu Sahu with her mother (left) and aunt
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 6″
Weight (approx.): 55 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family & Caste
She belongs to a middle-class OBC family. [2]UPSC Result
Parents & Siblings
Her father’s name is Arun Kumar Sahu who runs a hardware store, and her mother’s name is Lakshmi Sahu who is a local politician. She has two sisters and a brother named Piyush Sahu.
Ranu Sahu, her husband, Jai Prakash Maurya, her father, Arun Sahu, her mother, Lakshmi Sahu (sitting, R-L), her brother-in-law, her sister, her sister-in-law, Shalini Sahu, her brother, Piyush Sahu (standing, R-L)
Ranu Sahu (centre) with her sisters
Husband & Children
She got married to IAS Jai Prakash Maurya of the 2010 batch of Chhattisgarh cadre on 7 September 2012. The couple has a son named Ram.
Ranu Sahu with her husband, IAS Jai Prakash Maurya
Ranu Sahu with her son, Ram
Other Relatives
Her sister-in-law’s name is Shalini Sahu. Her father-in-law’s name was Mithai Lal Maurya who passed away on 29 November 2021.
Ranu Sahu’s father-in-law, Mithai Lal Maurya
Religion
She follows Hinduism.
IAS Ranu Sahu during a Hindu festival
Career
Police Services
In 2007, she passed the Chhattisgarh PCS examination and was appointed as Deputy superintendent of police (DSP); however, she had ambitions of becoming an IAS and started preparing for UPSC.
Indian Administration Services (IAS)
Examination
She passed the 2009 UPSC examination with 88th rank and secured 1212 marks out of 2300 marks in the exam. She got 1022 marks out of 2000 marks in the written examination and 190 marks out of 300 marks in the personality test. [3]UPSC Result
Postings
On 30 August 2010, she was appointed as an IAS Officer of 2010 batch of the Chhattisgarh cadre, [4]Civil List and after completing her training at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy Of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, she was appointed as an under-trainee Assistant Collector at Durg on 30 June 2011 where she handled the Land Revenue Management and District Administration till 25 July 2012.
Ranu Sahu after her appointment as IAS
From 25 July 2012 to 29 April 2013, she was posted as Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) at Raigarh. From 29 April 2013 to 31 December 2013, she was posted as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Zila Panchayat, Koriya. From 1 January 2014 to 8 July 2014, she was posted as Chief Executive Officer at Panchayati Raj, Koriya. From 23 July 2014 to 25 May 2016, she was appointed as Commissioner of Municipal Corporation, Bilaspur. From 8 July 2014 to 25 May 2016, she was given an additional charge as the Additional Collector at Jashpur. From 26 May 2016 to 3 August 2018, she was appointed as an Additional Collector at Bilaspur.
Ranu Sahu as Collector of Bilaspur
From 30 December 2016 to 3 August 2018, she was given an additional charge as Sub Collector of Sarguja. From 4 February 2019 to 25 May 2020, she was posted as District Collector of Kanker. From 26 May 2020 to 26 January 2023, she was posted as Commissioner of the Commercial Taxes Department. On 28 June 2022, she was posted as Collector of Raigarh. On 27 January 2023, she was appointed as Joint Secretary of the Agriculture Department in Raipur and the additional charge of Sanchalak Deputy Secretary of Mandi Parishad, Raipur.
Ranu Sahu while serving as Collector of Raigarh
Controversies
Arrest related to Coal Scam
On the night of 21 July 2023, Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials arrested IAS officer Ranu Sahu who held the position of Director in the Chhattisgarh Agriculture Department, in connection with the 2022 coal levy case. Her lawyer, Faizal Rizvi, stated that she had been summoned several times for questioning between October 2022 and January 2023 and had cooperated with the ED during those occasions; however, after January 2023, she was not summoned again by the ED.
He claimed that her arrest was politically motivated, and the grounds for the arrest were fictitious. The ED’s lawyer, Saurabh Pandey, confirmed the arrest and informed that Sahu had been produced in a Raipur court, where she was remanded in three-day ED custody till 24 July 2023. According to the ED, not only Sahu but also the entire state machinery had allegedly assisted in executing the conspiracy of coal levy extortion. The ED named three government officials, including IAS officers Sameer Vishnoi, Saumya Chaurasia, and Ranu Sahu, for supposedly aiding the ‘kingpin’ of the syndicate, Suryakant Tiwari. The extortion money was purportedly used as a bribe to pay government employees and finance election expenditures. ED further alleged that Sahu, during her tenure as a collector in Korba and Raigarh districts, had been in contact with Suryakant Tiwari through the latter’s relative. In October 2022, when ED raided her office in Raigarh, she was on leave, and her office was subsequently sealed.
Ranu Sahu (in yellow suit) going to court in ED custody
Upon her return from leave, she claimed that her phone was stolen, and the ED noted that her phone had been switched off around the same time ED arrived to conduct the raid. The ED asserted that Sahu was knowingly and willingly involved in the coal levy case and was untruthful during questioning. They also provisionally attached properties worth Rs 5.52 crore belonging to Sahu, alleging her involvement in receiving kickbacks from other accused in the coal levy case; however, her lawyer maintained that when confronted with documentary evidence, she had been unable to provide satisfactory replies to the ED. [5]The Indian Express [6]Aaj Tak
Accused of Corruption
In March 2022, Chhattisgarh cabinet minister, Jai Singh Agarwal publicly accused Ranu Sahu of mass corruption in the areas where she was posted. He alleged during a public function that she was involved in looting public funds and blocking the funds for development. [7]The Free Press Journal
Fight with Additional Commissioner
In 2020, when she was working as GST Commissioner, she had a fight with Additional Commissioner KR Jharia during a meeting after which they had a verbal spat and used expletives as well following which KR Jharia left the meeting in anger and submitted his resignation. Chhattisgarh cabinet minister T.S. Singh Deo asked the department to not accept the resignation. Ranu said that she did not have any personal enmity with Jharia and would talk to him later. [8]Dainik Bhaskar
Salary
As of January 2023, her salary was in Level 12 of the Pay matrix. [9]Civil List
Assets & Properties
As of January 2023, she owns two agricultural lands worth Rs 32 lakhs and worth Rs 6.20 lakhs in Asra village in Gariaband, an agricultural land worth Rs 5 lakhs in Naikbandha village in Gariaband, and two agricultural lands, each worth Rs 8 lakhs in Deharguda village in Gariaband. [10]IPR
Facts/Trivia
- When she became a DSP, her father became very angry as he believed that it was not good for girls; however, her mother played a key role in convincing her father to let her pursue her police career.
- In the 2009 UPSC written examination, her roll number was 219237, and she scored 103/200 marks in ESS, 160/300 marks in GSS-1, 179/300 marks in GSS-2, 139/300 marks in paper 1 of Optional-1, 44/300 marks in paper 2 of Optional-1, 118/300 marks in paper-1 of Optional-2, and 153/300 marks in paper 2 of Optional 2 exam.
- She likes to do yoga to maintain her fitness.
IAS Ranu Sahu doing yoga
References
