Gandhinagar: Manoj Sitaram Lokhande, Joint Registrar (Inspection) of Co-operative Societies has been prematurely retired by the Gujarat government due to multiple cases of corruption and irregularities during his service. Deputy Secretary of the Cooperation Department, R. H. Dantania issued the retirement order, effective June 24, 2024, which was announced on Wednesday.

The decision to retire Class-1 officer Manoj Lokhande is based on his 10-year service record. While serving at the District Registrar Co-operative Society in Rajkot, Lokhande was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for bribery. The Rajkot Sessions Court dropped the case in November 2022 due to insufficient evidence.

Moreover, he was convicted in June 2016 for irregularities in registering the Jamnagar District Panchayat Karmachari Nagar Nirman Co-operative Housing Society Ltd. Additionally, Lokhande was found guilty in November 2019 for failing to register the Shiromani Sharafi Co-operative Society in Rajkot and was demoted by one rank for 12 months.

Lokhande was conditionally promoted to joint registrar from district registrar in July 2022. However, due to performance lapses, repeated departmental punishments, and questions about his dedication and honesty, he has been compulsorily retired on June 24, 2024, two years earlier than scheduled in June 2026.

As district registrar, Manoj Lokhande oversaw administration in districts with cooperative networks like Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, and Mehsana. As a Joint Registrar, management of 214 Agricultural Production Market Committees (APMCs) including Rajkot, Unjha, Gondal, and Ahmedabad were under his jurisdiction. DeshGujarat