Biography

Sanjay Popli is a former Indian professor and an IAS officer who was arrested over corruption charges on 20 June 2022.After completing his formal education, he served as a Professor of English and American Literature at St. Bedes College, Shimla from July 1990 to May 1992.He became a PCS officer in 1992 after which he was posted as SDM in various districts of Punjab.While he was serving as the SDM of Jalalabad in 1997, he had a quarrel with a police officer, following which he was transferred.He was given adverse remarks in his Annual Confidential Report (ACR) for the year 2003-2004. His general assessment read, He was found of eloping from sub-divisional headquarters which an SDM can ill afford. Refused to mend his ways in spite of repeated advice/warnings. At that time, he had filed a case for being granted the designation of Joint Secretary and for placement in the pay scale admissible in relation to the designation.Following his allotment as an IAS officer in the Punjab cadre in 2008, Popli had to fight a legal battle to be elevated to the position. He was reportedly denied an integrity certificate by the then Chief Secretary. Popli was included in the combined eligibility list of vacancies for consideration for promotion to the IAS, from 2010 to 2013 consecutively. In 2016, he filed a petition in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) for considering his promotion for the Indian Administrative Service with retrospective effect from 2010. Popli said the UPSC had rejected his representation on the basis of his ACR (for the year 2007-08). He accused the IAS branch of the Punjab government of probably tampering with and misrepresenting his records.After his elevation to the IAS, Popli served in the Industries Department, Welfare of SC and BC Department, Pensions, etc.Since childhood, he was fond of playing cricket. He earned the title of Best Bowler during a cricket match between Punjab Governors IAS Eleven and Haryana Governors IAS Eleven, which was held at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. Sanjay Popli receiving an award for Best Bowler in 2017 for a cricket match between Punjab Governors IAS Eleven and Haryana Governors IAS Eleven.He can speak four languages, Hindi, Punjabi, English, and Urdu.