New Delhi: Rinku Dugga, an IAS officer who faced allegations of walking her dog in New Delhi’s Tyagraj Stadium with her husband, has been compelled to take early retirement.

The decision was made by the government after a thorough review of her career record, the Indian Express reported. The report further stated that the decision to retire Rinku Dugga was based on an assessment of her past conduct.

IAS Rinku Dugga’s retirement was enacted under Fundamental Rules (FR) 56 (J) of the Central Civil Service Rules of 1972, as per Rule 48. This rule empowers the government to retire a government officer if it is deemed to be in the public interest.

The controversy surrounding the IAS officer and her husband began when an image of their walk went viral on social media. Subsequently, they were transferred to Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, which marked their exit from the national capital. At that time, Rinku Dugga, aged 54, held the position of Principal Secretary in the Indigenous Affairs Department in Arunachal Pradesh. She continued in this role until her recent retirement order.

The viral image from last year depicted the couple taking an evening walk in an empty Tyagraj Stadium in Delhi. This led to the revelation that the IAS officers were accustomed to walking their dogs in the stadium, which resulted in restrictions on activities after 7 PM.

Athletes and coaches expressed grievances, claiming that they were obstructed from entering the stadium for practice and other activities after the specified hours, solely to accommodate the couple’s dog-walking routine. Consequently, both Rinku Dugga and her husband were promptly transferred.