India’s Finance Ministry’s Joint Secretary (Revenue) Uday Singh Kumawat IAS was honey trapped by French Intelligence during his stay in Paris recently. This officer also holds the sensitive post of Member Secretary to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Black Money Commission. Readers of PGurus working in Paris told us that the French Intelligence has given the video to their RAW counterparts stationed in Paris.

Caught between wife and lover, Kumawat managed to get a plum posting for the lady officer in the Belgium embassy.

Why did Kumawat go to Paris?

US Kumawat landed Paris on an official meeting in connection with Financial Action Task Force (FATF), representing the country. The international meeting was from February 18 to 23. Before going to Paris, Kumawat tried to get a visitor’s visa to Belgium. A former lady colleague in the Finance Ministry is posted currently in Belgium. But having been denied the visa, Mr. Kumawat invited the said lady over to visit him in Paris. This lady colleague was a Director level officer in the Finance Ministry and it was known to all in the North Block about Kumawat’s rendezvous with this lady officer from the Indian Revenue Service (IRS).

Many officers say that Kumawat would always put a Red Light on his cabin door, as and when this officer enters his Cabin and this rendezvous will go on for hours. Seven months ago, as alerted by some colleagues with a sense of humor, Kumawat’s wife barged into his cabin and caught both of them and created a ruckus in the Finance Ministry. Kumawat’s wife had complained to senior levels in the Ministry and demanded that the said lady officer from the Ministry be kicked out, according to many officials.

Caught between wife and lover, Kumawat managed to get a plum posting for the lady officer in the Belgium embassy. Kumawat is controlling all the postings and transfers in Finance Ministry, Income Tax, Customs, Enforcement Directorate, Financial Intelligence Unit etc. Putting pressure on his boss and Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia, Kumawat managed a plum Belgium posting for the lady officer, ignoring the candidature of around 40 officers who had applied for the post.

Reaching Paris, Kumawat was accommodated in Hotel du Collectionneur in Paris and as he was denied a Visa to Belgium, he invited his lady-lover officer to Paris. The lady officer landed in Paris and the French agencies were eyeing on their rendezvous. Secret cameras fully recorded their tryst. Such is the “level” of one of the senior most officials of the Finance Ministry. He was there to attend the crucial International meet of FATF in Paris. The man who supposed to present India’s case was enjoying sleaze in Paris international meet of Financial Action Task Force (on Money Laundering) (FATF). And after February 23, the hotel management asked Kumawat to vacate, when he sought an extension of two more days. As hotel management was stubborn, Kumawat and the lady officer shifted to another hotel and continued their rendezvous on February 24 and 25. And the quick-footed French cops promptly started monitoring them at the new place.

PGurus has learned that a few days ago, the French Intelligence has given a copy of the Compact Disc (CD) of Kumawat and the lady officer rendezvous to the Research and Analytical Wing (RAW) officers stationed in Paris.

US Kumawat is a very powerful officer, having big links with the Congress, BJP, and National Congress Party (NCP) leaders. He is a 1993 Batch IAS officer from Bihar cadre. He worked with many BJP, Congress and NCP Ministers as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD). In August 2017, the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had repatriated Kumawat back to the Bihar cadre. Interestingly, he continues to be in the Union Finance Ministry and many political leaders have recommended for his extension of service in the Central Government up to March 2018 and recently the Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia has also recommended his extension up to May 2018! These incidents show the power of Uday Singh Kumawat, IAS. After ACC orders a transfer, how can an officer stay that long? Whose patronage is he enjoying? It is a known fact that many powerful politicians from all parties in Bihar were recommending the continuation of US Kumawat in Finance Ministry (what business is it of theirs, to ask the Center?), despite the ACC headed by Prime Minister transferring him back to Bihar cadre due to his sleaze activities in Finance Ministry.

It is time Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley kick out these types of sleazeball officers, who shame the country. A mere transfer won’t do. If this was the corporate world, Mr. Kumawat would be kicked out. This is what this officer deserves.