“Do you keep shikha (sport a braid)? Do you wear a janeu (sacred thread)? Do you eat non-vegetarian food?”
What Happened
The decision to appoint a full-time CEO was taken after the allegations of embezzlement of donations came to light. The allegations have led to scrutiny of the Trust’s financial management even as eight accused have been arrested in the case while three officials, including the Trust’s former general secretary Champat Rai, stepped down from their posts. Pandey is a former inspector general of Uttar Pradesh Police. He last served as inspector general of police, Bareilly range. He is also the secretary of Lucknow’s historic Hanuman Mandir in Aliganj, which records massive turnouts of devotees on festive occasions. The selection panel comprises former Supreme Court judge Justice Pramod Kohli, Lt Gen Vishnukant Chaturvedi (retd), and Suresh Haware.
Earlier, he served as Lucknow senior superintendent of police and was also the founder-member of the UP Special Task Force.
People Involved
All the 18 candidates earlier faced an online interview. On Tuesday, a face-to-face interview was held for only eight candidates, including four former IAS officers.
