CAG Officer Suspended: The Probe Impact

CAG Officer Desai Suspended | The Probe Impact

Vishal Desai Bapusaheb, a senior official with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s office, has been suspended. Sources within the CAG confirmed to The Probe that the suspension order was issued on November 19, a day before CAG Girish Chandra Murmu's tenure concluded.

In Part 1 of our investigative series, The Probe reported on a complaint against Vishal Desai Bapusaheb, a 2010 batch Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IA&AS) officer. The complaints, reportedly sent to senior CAG officials, allegedly by a "cohort of vigilant employees" within the C&AG office, detailed grave allegations of corruption and sexual misconduct against Desai. According to the complainants, Desai was allegedly involved in sexual misconduct during an audit assignment in Mauritius and sexual exploitation during the recruitment of young professionals. Additional accusations included alleged bribery in recruitment under the sports quota and allegations that vacant positions at the CAG Headquarters had been filled through bribery over the past four years.

Despite the serious nature of complaints against Desai in August 2024, he was posted as the Director in the office of Principal Director of Audit, London, where he assumed charge in September 2024. Concerns raised by senior officials within the CAG, urging an investigation into Desai’s conduct, were overlooked. It was only on October 23, 2024, that the C&AG issued orders recalling Desai to India, citing "administrative reasons." He was reassigned as Senior Deputy Accountant General in Jaipur, Rajasthan, with instructions to assume his new role by November 10, 2024.

The Probe had also reported earlier that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) was alerted about the allegations against Desai as far back as December 2023. This raised critical questions: why was no timely inquiry constituted, and why was Desai permitted to assume the high-profile London posting, only to be recalled within weeks? In a phone conversation with The Probe, Desai dismissed the allegations as being driven by "internal politics within the organisation."

The Probe on 14 November, sent a detailed questionnaire to CAG Girish Chandra Murmu, seeking clarity on the decision to send Desai to London despite the serious accusations and the concerns raised by senior management within the organisation. The questions also sought details on the measures undertaken to investigate the allegations and the outcomes of any inquiries.

In response, the CAG’s office stated that “Shri Vishal Desai’s posting orders were issued much before the complaints were received. The allegations were thoroughly investigated as per the extant DoPT provisions. Subsequently, a systems study was undertaken on related issues, and he was recalled from London to India on administrative grounds as numerous serious allegations surfaced against him. His presence was necessary in India to ensure that a free and fair inquiry into the allegations could take place.”

However, the CAG’s justification remains unconvincing. If the PMO was alerted in December 2023 and the C&AG received complaints in August 2024, why was Desai allowed to leave India on government expense, only to be recalled weeks later?

On November 19, sources confirmed to The Probe that Desai had been suspended.

(This story will be updated as new information becomes available.)

To read Part 1 and Part 2 of our investigative series on CAG click here and here.