Basant Rath (IPS) Age, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Basant Rath

• Basant Rath is a social servant and a former IPS officer of the 2000 batch of the AGMUT cadre. His feud with senior IPS officer Dilbagh Singh has often made the headlines. In August 2023, he was relieved of his duties when the Union government decided to retire him voluntarily, ending his two-year suspension.

• During a media interaction, Rath mentioned that he was born into a financially disadvantaged household, which struggled to provide enough food for its members. He talked about it and said,
  

  I come from a village and we were dirt poor. My mother used to starve, pretending that she fasted for religious reasons. I saw a library for the first time when I was 16, that too from outside.”

• After completing his formal education, Rath took the UPSC civil services exam and passed it. Subsequently, he joined the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVNPA) in Hyderabad, Telangana, where he trained to become a police officer.

• Basant Kumar Rath finished his training at SVPNPA and was assigned to the AGMUT cadre on 4 September 2000.
  

  A photo of Basant Rath taken after he was commissioned as an IPS officer

• Following his training at SVPNPA, he initiated a venture named Book Baba, to aid less privileged students aspiring to clear government or IIT-JEE exams. He furnished these students with books and supplementary educational materials. While giving an interview, he said,
  

  My book distribution initiative started in Poonch in 2001 when I was doing my probation. It was unsystematic and disorganized, to begin with. It became structured and organized in 2006 in Ramban. I started using social media to reach out to the deserving students in J&K and Ladakh in 2016 when I was looking after Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban.”

• He was posted to Ramban in 2006.
  

  A photo of Basant Kumar Rath taken while he was giving an interview

• Afterwards, he received numerous promotions and took on significant roles in locations such as Srinagar.

• Functioning in the capacity of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Rath received both commendation and critique for his actions. The negative feedback primarily originated from higher-ranking police officers and government officials due to his unconventional approach as a law enforcement officer. Rath would frequently position himself alongside on-duty traffic police officers on the streets, issuing citations for traffic violations to those who were breaking the regulations. His utilization of social media also attracted disapproval from authorities due to his casual style. Conversely, Rath received appreciation from the inhabitants of Srinagar due to his readiness to impose penalties on government workers, including those within the military and police. He is also recognized for implementing measures that led to city traffic management enhancements, particularly around Lal Chowk in Srinagar.
  

  Basant Rath issuing a traffic challan to an Indian Army vehicle

• In November 2018, Rath was assigned to the Home Guards and Civil Defence Department. Reportedly, the government reassigned him due to his conflict with the former Mayor of Srinagar.
  

  A photo of Rath taken while serving as an IGP

• Rath was suspended in July 2020 on the charges of indulging in misconduct and misbehaviour. His suspension was extended by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for six months on 31 July 2023.

• After being suspended, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt expressed his interest in creating a Bollywood film centred around the life of Basant Rath.

• In August 2023, after receiving an official communication from the President of India, Rath was compelled to retire early by the government. This early retirement deprived him of the advantages of the Voluntary Retirement Service (VRS) and included only three months’ salary and allowances, which were given beforehand.
  

  A snip of the order issued by the MHA regarding Basant Rath’s retirement

• In August 2023, Rath sought to become a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following his premature retirement by the Indian government. Nonetheless, his bid to join the BJP was declined due to his history as an IPS officer. A senior BJP leader talked about his application and said,
  

  Anyone can join as a member of the BJP using an online facility. It is the party leadership which finally takes a call on whether the individual is inducted or given any responsibility in the party. In BJP, there is no place for indiscipline. He (Rath) has been given premature retirement because of indiscipline.”

  

  A screenshot of Basant Rath’s application to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) uploaded by him on Twitter

• The book “Son of a Brahmin,” which is his autobiography, is scheduled for publication in 2024.

• In March 2023, Rath was granted a domicile by the J&K administration.
  

  Basant Kumar Rath’s Jammu and Kashmir’s domicile certificate

• Black is his favourite colour.

• During a media interaction, Basant Kumar Rath disclosed that he fell in love with a girl from his college while studying at the BJB Autonomous College in Odisha. However, it was a one-sided affair. ^[5]OTV – YouTube

• His favourite quote is “My mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know…”